


In the Middle of All Things

by BlueMaize



Series: In The Middle of All Things [1]
Category: Flashpoint (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Past Violence, Loosely based on, Omega Verse, implied/referenced past rape/non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-26 06:52:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 32,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4994470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueMaize/pseuds/BlueMaize
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Greg is all too aware that the laws around Omegas are a minefield of red tape and bad legislation. So when a routine bust with Guns and Gangs hands Team One custody of an Omega named Spike who hasn't seen the outside world in twelve years and doesn't know the meaning of kindness, he knows they've got their work cut out for them. And Spike, well he thinks one group of Alpha soldiers is much like any other. Until he meets Team One.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter starts somewhere in the middle of the story. Subsequent chapters go back to the beginning and follow on in chronological order. And in British English. Sorry about that. 
> 
> I blame siennavie and BrokenHazelEyes for inspiring this. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

In his dream it was pitch black, warm and close, the air stifling. He tried to move, get his hands under him but he was trapped. Panic set in slowly, seeping its way into his sleep addled brain. A hand touched his lower back and a small whimper of fear escaped from between his lips.

Instantly, there was a shift in his surroundings. A lightening. The weight lifted and he was free to move. A light came on in the far corner, its diffuse glow dispelling the world of his nightmare.

“It was just a dream Spike. You with us buddy?” the voice was pitched soft, coming from somewhere to his left. The hand, touch feather light, returned to his back. He turned his head towards the voice and let his body relax back down onto the bed as he recognised the sleep tussled form of Ed.

Then realisation sank in as he heard the shuffle of bodies behind him that told him Greg and Sam were awake. He’d woken them all. Again.

He turned his head into the mattress and let out a small groan. Before he had time to formulate his apology, hands were turning him onto his back. Three faces peered down at him but instead of talking to him, they conversed over him.

“Third time this week.” Sam said, running a hand over his tired face then patting Spike affectionately on the shoulder.

“Yeah, he was shifting in his sleep and I put my hand on him to settle him, felt his whole body go tense.”

None of them were looking at him, and Spike felt a prickle of anxiety start to spread through him. Strike three. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad, he reasoned. Maybe they’d just make him sleep on the floor. The sharp patter of rain on the windowpane distracted him. They wouldn’t make him sleep outside, would they? Not that that had never happened to Spike before but… _they_ wouldn’t, would they?

The conversation above him continued as if he wasn’t there but he made no attempt to follow it. Just the thought of being left out there in the cold and wet made him shiver and suddenly three faces were looking at him again. Uh oh.

“Alright Spike, I think we need to make a change to the sleeping arrangements.” Greg looked unhappy. Spike wondered if he’d get the ‘this is going to hurt us more than it hurts you’ speech before they put him outside.

“Let’s try you on the edge of the bed instead of in the middle. You’ll be a little cooler and might feel less trapped that way.”

Oh. “Not outside then?” he asked in surprise, sparing a quick glance at the window where the rain still pelted down from the night sky.

He realised that was the wrong thing to say as the three men above him still. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the expressions on their faces.

Greg spoke after a long pause.

“No Spike. Not outside. Not on the floor. Not in the bathroom. Not in the closet.” All places they’d found Spike sleeping during his first few weeks living with them.

“Your place is here, with us, in bed. Unless you _choose_ to sleep elsewhere.”

Spike opened his eyes to see on Greg’s face the barely concealed anger he could hear in his voice. Sam’s eyes were sad, his gaze on his hands, twisted together on the sheets.

Spike tried to sit up then, feeling too vulnerable with the three of them kneeling above him. They helped him, hands steadying him but as he sat up a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind and pulled him to lean against a broad chest. He struggled instinctively as more hands reached for him, then Ed’s voice, close to his ear, spoke.

“Easy buddy, we’re not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to let _anyone_ hurt you.”

They were some of the first words Ed had ever spoken to him, back when he was the scary soldier that Spike had been hiding from and he’d caught him and brought him to Greg. He’d been telling the truth then, though Spike hadn’t known it. He was telling the truth now and Spike forced himself to relax back into Ed’s arms.

Ed moved them back against the headboard. Greg and Sam moved to lie either side of them, Greg leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Spike’s cheek and Sam taking Spike’s hand in his. The light was switched off and slowly Spike began to relax, his eyes drooping closed. ‘Safe.’ He reminded himself as he drifted off. He was safe.


	2. Caught

Stay quiet. Don’t breathe. Don’t even breathe. 

He’d been woken by the bang of explosives followed by the sound of bullets. He was alone, his handler gone. Without him, Spike couldn’t exit the building except through the front door but from what he could tell, that’s where all the noise and gunfire was coming from. 

If they lost the battle, the enemy would sweep the building and the soldiers would find him. “It’ll be bad for all of us.” His handler had said. “But worst for you. For us it’ll be quick - a bullet to the head. For you… they’re going to take their time with you. Especially once they work out what you are. So you’d better not get caught.”

His handler’s warning ringing in his ear, he started to formulate a plan. If he could short circuit the safe doors he could access some of the explosives kept in there. And he could use those to open the bricked up door that led to the backyard of the warehouse. A pair of wire cutters would see him through the fence and he’d be home free. Then his bosses would trace him with the tracker embedded under his skin, pick him up and relocate him.

He got to work. It took longer than he’d liked to crack the safe - they’d learned how better to keep him out of things since his earlier days of mischief. But just as he was getting the C4 out from the safe, he heard people approaching, much closer than he’d anticipated. There wasn’t time to blow the door. He’d have to hide.

The room was shelf after shelf of materials, boxes of electronics, rolls of wire, and larger building materials. Spike moved to the darkest corner of the room, praying that, whoever these soldiers were, they didn’t have an Alpha contingent. You couldn’t hide from Alphas, not in an enclosed space this small.

He settled himself into a corner, behind an oversized box. There were two possible ways he’d be saved. One, they weren’t Alphas, they didn’t search too hard and overlooked him hidden in the corner. Two, his people managed to overcome them and get to him before they did. The second option seemed unlikely, particularly as the distant gunfire had all but silenced. His hopes for the first option died when the footsteps that entered the room almost immediately found his bedroll and blanket. He hadn’t thought to hide them.

“Still warm.” He heard a deep voice say. “He’s here somewhere.”

Then the voice called out to the room at large. “SRU, come out with your hands up. We know you’re in there.”

That was it then, they’d found him. But Spike couldn’t bring himself to surrender. He knew what would happen, what they’d do to him when they got their hands on him and when they eventually figured out that he wasn’t what he seemed. And he caught the unmistakeable scent of Alpha from them. 

Footsteps began to move around the room. Some getting distant, some getting close. Spike closed his eyes tight and focused on trying to calm his heartbreat and reduce his pheromone production to be less visible. He didn’t even have a weapon to hand, something to force them into shooting him or something to let him take care of that himself. No, all he had next to him was a box of industrial sized duct tape.

The sound of footsteps grew louder and louder and not even Spike’s best efforts could calm his heart. He didn’t want the pain and torture that was going to be inflicted on him. He didn’t want the hands and bodies that he knew would force themselves in contact with him, once they saw past the Beta scent he was cloaked with.

The footsteps near him stilled and after a pause so too did the second set of footsteps on the far side of the room.

“Alright now, come on out.” The voice was even, no hint of anger. Looking up a little, Spike could just make out a pair of legs in dark pants standing a metre in front of him.

He moved forward. “That’s it. Nice and slowly. Hands where I can see them.”

Spike obediently lifted his hands up as he stood from a crouch and shuffled another few steps towards the soldier. 

“Keep your hands up. Do you have any weapons on you?”

Spike shook his head. “Alright, I’m going to search you.” The soldier moved briskly forward, turning Spike to the left and pushing him up against the wall, hands outstretched. He none-too-gently kicked his legs apart. The search was thorough but brisk and then Spike’s hands were pulled behind him and encircled with a plastic zip tie. Something that, as hard as he’d tried before, he knew he wouldn’t be able to extricate himself from.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Boss, we’re on our way back with one more. Unarmed male, no resistance.” The second set of footsteps materialised into another soldier, younger, who took point as they walked back through the warehouse.

The crackle of static told Spike they were communicating via radio with their leader.

“Unarmed? Is he a Beta?” their boss asked.

“No.” The older soldier escorting him answered easily. “He’s Beta cloaked but he’s Omega.” And just like that Spike’s thin hope of getting out of this somewhat intact shattered.


	3. Meetings

The front of the warehouse had undergone a grotesque transformation since Spike had last seen it. Almost no surface seemed free from bullet holes. He saw caught a glimpse of three bodies, lying still in pools of blood, before the man escorting him moved to shield him from the view. “You don’t need to see that.” The words were spoken in an undertone.

He was guided towards a man who was clearly in charge. People orbited around him and he gave concise instructions and spoke almost non-stop through his headset.

This was the man in charge of Spike’s fate now. The one who’d oversee his torture and rape until was a broken and obedient Omega for his men, until it finally became too much for his body to take. Never again would Spike get to tinker with his gadgets, find a new way to break through a firewall, create a new programme to hide his employer’s footsteps. Soldiers didn’t see Omegas as useful beyond the bedroom. And in elite Alpha teams, the survival rate of Omegas was measured in months.

His escort steered him to a stop in front of their boss. The man looked Spike up and down but continued talking on the radio. “No, Winnie, get team 2 in to cover, we need 3 on the ground for this one, backing up Guns and Gangs. Exactly. Thanks Winnie.”

“This the last of them?” the boss asked. “Yeah Parker, he was sleeping in the storage room in the back.”

“Ed are you sure he’s..”

“Yeah, see for yourself.”

Spike felt the man’s gaze on him again, but had turned his eyes to the floor as they discussed his status. He expected to feel hands grab him, force him down to his knees but instead the man spoke to him.

“Hi, my name is Sergeant Greg Parker. Can you tell me yours?” His tone was open, friendly, nothing Spike expected directed towards him. But he’d seen this trick before. You catch more flies with honey and all that. He preferred the brutality in some ways. At least it was more honest.

He was starting to shake a little from the adrenaline and the anticipation of pain. It wouldn’t be long now, he reasoned.

“I know things probably seem pretty scary for you right now, but I promise you…”

The man was talking again, in a tone more gentle than Spike had heard directed towards him in a long time. He longed for it to be true. For someone to really be speaking to him like that and meaning it. But there was an Alpha directly in front of him, a second behind him, holding his arms and a third behind and to the right. He was the definition of trapped between a rock, a boulder and a hard place.

The Sergeant made his move, finally, stepping towards Spike. Spike saw his feet approach and then a hand moving towards his face. His instinct was to flee and he couldn’t fight it. But there was nowhere to go. The man behind him wrapped his arms around him as he struggled and spoke suddenly and intently into his ear.

“It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to let _anyone_ hurt you.” Spike knew a lie when he heard one but he was too exhausted to keep up the struggle and his knees were suddenly weak. Things went fuzzy for a minute, then he was kneeling on the ground and Sergeant Parker was talking into his headset again, asking for a paramedic.

Spike let everything flow over him for a while, not really paying attention to the buzz going on around him. It was like he was out of sync with time and everything in it. When he came to, he was surprised to find himself sitting in the back of an SUV. There was a blanket around him, his seatbelt was on and his hands, still enclosed by zip ties, were now tied in front of him.

The younger soldier was sitting next to him. He gave him a small smile when he noticed Spike looking around. Then he reached between the seat and pulled out a plastic bottle. He unscrewed the lid and moved the bottle towards Spike. Spike pulled back, eyeing him with fear. A drugged Omega was a compliant Omega.

The young man retreated, confusion evident on his face. Probably, Spike reasoned, used to broken obedient Omegas.

“Hey man, it’s just some water.” The soldier reassured as understanding dawned. Then, slowly, he took a long drink from the bottle. “See?” He reached over again, helping Spike take the bottle in his own bound hands and guide it to his mouth. It was cool and refreshing. Only as he swallowed his first mouthful did Spike realise how thirsty he was. He gulped down more before the younger solider tugged the bottle away from him.

“Slow down, okay.”

When Spike looked longingly at the rest of the bottle, he hastened to add. “You can have more in a minute. You have too much at once, you’ll throw up. If you do that, Parker’ll insist you spend the night at the hospital.”

The sat in silence for a while before Spike got another drink of water. “I’m Sam by the way.” The younger man added as he placed the bottle back between the seats. He smiled at Spike again, a smile that wasn’t any of the things Spike had grown to hate about an Alpha smile. It wasn’t predatory or smirking or entitled.

“So what’s your name?”

Spike had just opened his mouth to answer when the driver door opened and the man the Sergeant had called Ed got in. He shared a brief glance with Sam before he took a long look at Spike.

“How are you doing?” this was directed at Spike. Spike ducked his head, unable to meet the intense gaze.

“He’s a little better, he had some water.” Sam spoke for him.

Whatever Ed was about to say in reply was lost as Sergeant Parker opened the front passenger door and got in.

“Time to go home guys.” he said, though his cheer seemed forced as he glanced back to where Spike was sitting in the back. Spike was trying to make himself invisible again, slowing his breathing and his heart rate. He didn’t want to go wherever it was they were taking him. He longed for his bedroll and blanket back in the warehouse.


	4. First Night

The rules around Omegas were a minefield of red tape and bad legislation, Greg knew. They preoccupied his thoughts on the drive back home, the immensity of the Omega sitting in the back seat weighing on all of their minds. 

An Omega found in a combat situation automatically became the property of the victors. Which, loosely speaking, meant Team One now had their very own Omega. Team one was a mixed team of Alphas and Betas. He, Ed and Sam were the Alphas, Jules, Wordy and Lou the Betas. It was a good team balance. It worked. That he and Ed has always had a close bond helped. That that bond has naturally expanded to include Sam shortly after he joined the team more and more made their triumvirate seem like a thing of fate. 

Now an Omega thrown into the midst of that? Greg wasn’t sure how that was going to play out. Sure, they’d discussed the possibility of searching out an Omega to enhance their bond but, as Ed has put it, the timing just never felt right.

But already Greg could see the way Eddie was watching the frightened young man. And the expression on Sam’s face like something just a little bit wonderful had happened. It was a feeling he could relate to, as he felt it welling up inside him, but one look at the scared kid in the backseat was enough to quash it.

Greg had asked one of his friends in Guns and Gangs to question the surviving suspects about the Omega and what he’d been doing in that warehouse. If they could learn a bit more about his background and circumstances, they’d stand a better chance of making a connection. Though it seemed Sam already had, Greg noted with a smile, as Sam helped the young man finish off a bottle of water. As he stored the bottle away, he was rewarded with quiet words. “Thanks Sam.” “No problem…” Sam paused, making it clear he wanted to know the man’s name. 

“Spike, it’s Spike.”

“Spike?” Sam sounded a little disbelieving. Greg didn’t blame him. What kind of a name was Spike?

“Yeah, my hair used to…” Spike trailed off as he gestured with bound hands towards his head. “Oh, I get it.” Sam smiled. “Nice to meet you Spike.” And he held out a hand. Greg watched through the rear view mirror as Spike looked for a long moment at the outstretched hand before moving his hands forward and letting Sam grasp one in a handshake. 

“I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced, but the man doing the driving is Ed lane. And you’ve met our Sergeant, Greg Parker.”

Ed called back “Good to meet you Spike, you can call me Ed.”, while Greg twisted in his seat to look at Spike before speaking. “Hi Spike. You can call me Greg.”

***

It was all so nice and friendly. So normal. It was hard to reconcile this with the reality where they’d soon be… hurting him… forcing him. His mind skittered away from this train of thought. A protective instinct he imagined. Otherwise human beings would have gone mad long ago in anticipation of suffering, never mind the actual event.

Words washed over him and he let them.

“No, we’re going straight home Sam. Debrief is postponed ‘til the morning. Spike’s in our custody until the hearing next week as per Omega legislation concerning combat.” 

“We gonna keep him restrained until then?” The unhappy note in Sam’s voice brought Spike back to the present. 

“No, but if he gets out and someone else picks him up, it’ll be a lot worse of a situation.” Ed answered.

There was silence for a few minutes, though Spike could feel the tension building in the air. 

“Any thoughts on dinner?” Greg asked and the tension eased. 

“Take out?” Sam suggested. “I’m too tired to cook.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Ed said. “Spike, you hungry?”

Spike looked up to find Ed watching him through the rear view mirror. He didn’t answer the question, stomach getting queasier by the second as they approached their destination. They weren’t even taking him to a holding cell or a detention center. They were taking him home.

“Sam, call ahead and put through the usual order. Maybe some chicken broth or something as well for Spike, until we figure out what his stomach can handle.”

Spike’s stomach twisted in fear at the words. What did that mean? Were they going to see how much pain he could take until he puked his guts up?

Spike’s attempts to calm himself worked less and less as the main roads gave way to residential streets. They pulled up in front of a large house. Doors opened and the others exited the car. His door opened and Sergeant Parker took him by the arm and led him towards the house. Sam followed behind. Ed was ahead of them, the front door already open. There was no chance to run, nowhere to hide. His heart pounded as his feet crossed the threshold.

“Alright Spike, listen up. House Rules.” Ed’s tone was stern and he stood right in front of Spike, not letting go of eye contact. 

“You do not leave this house without one of us accompanying you. Not even one step outside the front door. You don’t open any doors or windows. You don’t start any fires. You don’t lock any door of any room you enter or exit. Are we clear?” The last was said harshly, with authority. 

Spike found himself answering automatically, voice shaky. “Yes, sir.”

“And don’t call me sir. It’s Ed.” The last was said in a lighter tone and Spike looked up to find Ed smiling. When Spike didn’t return the smile, Ed’s faded. 

“It’s just to keep you safe buddy, until things get straightened out.” Spike nodded mutely though he didn’t understand what Ed meant.

Then Ed cut the plastic ties around Spike’s wrists and just like that his arms were free. “Sam’ll give you the tour while Greg and I get dinner sorted.” Ed said and disappeared off towards the back of the house. 

“Come on, we’ll start down here and then I’ll show you upstairs.” Sam pointed out every room of interest downstairs then led Spike upstairs where there were two bathrooms and a handful of bedrooms. 

“We all have our own but we spend a lot of nights together in the master bedroom.” Sam showed Spike into one of the bathrooms and left him to wash up before dinner. 

“Just don’t lock the door okay, or Ed’ll have both our heads.” he said with a smile.

When Spike wandered out a few minutes later, Sam was waiting for him in the hall. The doorbell went. “That’ll be the take out.” 

Sam paused to show Spike the guest room before they made their way downstairs.

“This’ll probably be yours for the moment.” They were giving him a room? Spike pondered the unlikeliness of that as they made their way to the kitchen.

Greg and Ed were laying all the food out on the table. Sam moved to help, putting out plates and glasses. Spike watched this odd domestic arrangement with fascination. It had been a very long time since he’d seen someone lay a table. It reminded him of his mother…

“Spike.” Greg called him over with a wave of his hand. “What would you like?” 

He was ushered into a seat and when he wasn’t forthcoming on what he liked to eat, a selection of food was put on a plate in front of him and a carton of chicken broth next to it. “Just eat whatever you feel like, no pressure.” 

Greg sat to one side of him, Sam on the other and Ed opposite. 

Spike watched for a while as they all tucked into their food before cautiously sampling some of what was on his plate. He caught Ed watching him and his comment in the car about what Spike’s stomach could handle replayed in Spike’s mind. Thoughts of what they had planned for him after dinner made his stomach queasy and he nervously pushed the food around on his plate for the rest of the meal.

Conversation was stilted at the table but for all Spike knew, that was what all their dinner conversations were like.

As the other three finished eating, Greg spoke to Spike again. “Spike, you’ll have the guest room for the time being. I’m sure you’re tired after today, so we’ll get you settled for the night.”

Greg accompanied him to the room while the others stayed to clear up. Spike watched as he put fresh sheets on the bed. 

Spike wondered what would happened now. Would it be just Greg tonight or would it be all three? Would it be pain or just sex? All these thoughts competed for space in his head and he almost missed Greg’s parting words. 

“There’s extra blankets in the drawer. Bathroom’s across the hall and if you need anything, I’m just two doors down. Goodnight Spike.”

He left, closing the door behind him, and Spike was alone. He heard footsteps going downstairs. It had to be a trick, didn’t it? Lull him into a false sense of security and then catch him off guard? Spike moved to the corner of the room furthest from the door, sat down, and waited.

He kept himself awake as long as he could, hearing voices from downstairs, footsteps coming up, first one set, followed by two more. And though they walked the landing and entered and exited the bathrooms and bedrooms, they didn’t come for him. Waiting for him to fall asleep, he guessed. Eventually, eyes heavy, he drifted off.

***

The slow creak of the door opening woke him sometime later and he watched as light from the hall spread across the room, illuminating his empty bed. He heard a muffled curse and the door opened fully. A man stepped through, his body blocking the light from the door and Spike, blinking sleepily, couldn’t make out who it was at first. 

As the figure stepped towards him, his eyes adjusted and he knew it was Ed. His heart sank a little. He’d hoped for Sam, who’d seemed a little younger and gentler. With him it mightn’t have been as bad. At first glance Ed’s face was angry but it quickly faded. 

As Ed approached, he reached out. “Come on, Spike, let’s…” 

Spike didn’t want what he knew the rest of this night would bring. He curled further into the corner, evading Ed’s outstretched hand. Ed moved to crouch in front of him. “Buddy, what’s wrong?”.

Spike took a breath and made a decision. It wouldn’t be so bad if he complied. Ed wouldn’t have to hurt him too much if he tried to do what the Alpha wanted. He held his hand towards Ed’s outstretched one, letting him pull him to his feet. His legs felt wooden underneath him but they held his weight. 

Holding on to his hand, Ed tugged him towards the light. On getting a good look at him he sighed. 

“Come on.” 

He tugged gently and Spike obediently followed him out of the room. He’d comply. He wouldn’t give them reason to hurt him. Not that they needed reason.

Ed led him into the master bedroom. It wasn’t until Spike had stepped into the room that he realised his mistake. The other two Alphas were already there. 

Greg sat up as they entered the dark room and reached over to turn on a bedside lamp. “Ed, what’s going on? I thought we talked about this?” Sam sat up groggily too, wiping sleep from tired eyes. 

“I found him curled up on the floor in the corner of the guest room.” Ed said. 

Greg turned to look at Spike then, frowning. “Couldn’t sleep Spike?”

Spike shrugged his shoulders, trying to hide his terror. “I knew you’d come for me.” 

Greg’s frown deepened and, getting out of bed, he crossed the room towards him. “You knew we’d come for you?” There was a hard edge to his voice. It made Spike back away a step or two, but Ed’s hand on his shoulder stilled him.

“Please.” He tried to swallow the terror that threatened to overwhelm him. “I’ll do whatever you want, please don’t hurt me.” 

Ed moved to stand in front of him. If Greg looked angry, then Ed was furious. Spike tried to placate them further. “I’m sorry, you can do whatever you want, I won’t fight you.”

His actions belied his words as he flinched away when Greg tried to touch him. He looked at the floor, no longer able to tolerate their gazes. His stomach was sick and he wished the ground would swallow him up and out of existence.

He heard Greg’s words distantly. “Sam, would you take Spike back to the guest room. See if you can settle him in the bed this time.”

He heard the quiet creak of floorboards, then Sam spoke. “Come on Spike, let’s get you back to bed.” Sam lead Spike from the room and back down the hall to his room. He pulled back the covers and maneuvered Spike into the bed, head on the cool pillow then covered him with the blanket. 

Sam stood for a moment, watching him, before he spoke. “You’re safe here Spike, I promise. Try and get some sleep. Goodnight.” Then Sam left, leaving the door open a crack so a small bit of light suffused the room. He could hear the quiet murmur of voices from the other room but soon they quieted. After a long, long time, he slept.


	5. Late Night Conversations

Sam returned to the master bedroom to find Ed leaning against the dresser and Greg sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. 

Sam sat down beside him on the bed and Greg reached a hand down to squeeze his before speaking. 

“This is exactly why I didn’t want him in the master bedroom on his first night. We have no idea what kind of conditioning he’s had or what he’s been through in the past at the hands of Alphas. He was bound to jump to conclusions.”

Ed was shaking his head from his position across the room. “He’d already formed the conclusions. He’s been terrified from the moment we picked him up earlier. Should I have just left him there, curled up on the floor?”

“No, I’m just saying that I don’t think bringing him in here was the best idea. We need to give him his own space, he needs to feel safe and secure there.”

Ed looked like he was going to continue the argument when Sam interrupted. 

“Well he’s settled in bed now. Let’s just see how things look in the morning. He’s coming with us to the debrief right?”

Ed nodded as he crossed to the bed and sat next to them, wrapping an arm around Sam. “He stays with us 24/7 until the hearing next week.”

“And at the hearing, are we applying to keep him? What happens if we don’t take him?” Sam was worried. 

“If we don’t take him, he can be conscripted to serve with a military unit.” Greg answered.

“Without a trial, without actually knowing if he’s a victim or a perpetrator?” Sam couldn’t hide the anguish in his voice. He knew firsthand what happened to Omegas in the military who were unprotected. 

“It doesn’t matter, that’s how badly the legislation is written.” Greg continued.

“Then he’ll just have to stay with us, where we can keep him safe. He’ll figure it out soon enough.” Ed’s voice was soft in Sam’s ear, expressing a confidence Sam knew none of them felt.

“So it’s decided then, we’re applying to keep him?” Greg asked and the other two nodded. It had been a fait accompli from the moment Ed had found him, Sam knew.

“Well tomorrow is going to be another long day so we all should get some rest.” Greg said.

All three got into bed, Sam in the center, Ed on one side and Greg on the other. It took a long time for sleep to come to any of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who had read and commented so far. All encouragement is much appreciated!


	6. First Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone remember when The Day After Tomorrow was released and they warned for 'extended scenes of peril'? I feel I should warn for extended scenes of angst. I'm trying to balance it out with plot but... consider yourselves warned.

Spike woke to an insistent pressure from his bladder. He stumbled blearily to his feet, surprised to find a two foot drop between his bed and the floor. It took a moment for him to work things out but the red marks around his wrists confirmed his sleepy memories of the previous day.

The light coming through the window told him it was early morning, just after dawn. The house was still, the Alphas not yet up.

Spike tiptoed to the door and peered out. The bathroom was just down the hall, but to get there he’d have to pass the master bedroom. What if he woke them?

He was just thinking how it would be safer to wait until they were up, when he heard soft voices coming from downstairs followed by the clink of plates and cups. Deciding it was safe to risk it if they were downstairs, he crossed the hall quietly and slipped into the bathroom, closing, but not locking, the door. 

A few minutes later, feeling much relieved, he exited the bathroom. He paused then, undecided as to whether he should return to his room or go downstairs. The smell of food wafted up from the kitchen. Footsteps taking the stairs two at a time left him out of options and Ed appeared in the hall. He greeted Spike with a smile.

“Morning Spike. Come on down, Sam is making pancakes.” 

Spike followed Ed down the stairs, the mouthwatering smell of pancakes getting stronger with each step. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten a breakfast that didn’t come in a tin.

In the kitchen Sam was cooking while Greg brewed some coffee. “Morning Spike, how did you sleep?” Greg asked him cheerfully. Sam wished him a good morning with a wave of his spatula.

There was no mention of the previous night but Spike could see it hadn’t been forgotten. Ed had been careful to keep his distance as he brought him down. He really didn't get it. They were Alphas, he was an Omega. They had the full weight of the law behind them but despite his fears he’d slept a peaceful night unmolested.

They sat down to breakfast. Spike only managed a glass of orange juice and two of the four pancakes Sam had piled his plate with. Full, he sat back and watched the three men interact. 

They talked and joked, trying to include Spike in the conversation where they could. There were smiles and touches, both accidental and purposeful. It reminded him again of sitting around the family table at breakfast time, his mother plying everyone with food and lamenting that he didn’t eat enough. 

“You’re too skinny Michaelangelo.” She’d say, pinching his skin.

“Ma!” he’d protest, swatting her hand away.

He realised that he’d missed something when he found Greg trying to get his attention. “Spike, you back with us?”

He couldn’t hide the flash of fear on his face. “Sorry, sir, I was just…” he trailed off.

“That’s okay Spike, I was just saying you might like a shower and a change of clothes before we head out. Come on, we’ll head upstairs and I’ll show you where everything is. The guys will tidy up.”

“Yeah, yeah, leave us to do all the hard work.” Ed joked as Spike followed Greg out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Greg gave Spike some clean clothes then showed him how to work the shower and where the towels were kept. As he was leaving Spike to it, he said. “Call me when you’re through and before you get dressed. You’ve a few injuries that could do with a once over, okay?”

“Okay, Greg.” Spike replied. The door closed.

He undressed, wondering how long it had been since he’d last had a chance to shower. His last handler wasn’t too concerned with hygiene and Spike had had to be content with a basin of cold water to wash and shave in most days for the past few months. As he shed his clothes and placed them in the laundry basket, Spike realised that his Beta mask was wearing off. He’d been due his next injection yesterday. He guessed now his Omega scent would return full force and along with it his heat. The Alphas, if they wanted to, could speed up the process. Maybe that’s what Greg would do after his shower.

He didn’t dawdle too long under the hot water but once out and wrapped in a towel, hesitated in calling Greg in. Finally realising if he didn’t call him, he’d come eventually anyway, he went to the door and called Greg’s name softly.

He didn’t have long to wait before Greg knocked on the door. Feeling silly, Spike told him to come in. 

Greg had a first aid kit in his hand. “Alright, first things first. Any injuries you want to tell me about?”

When Spike froze but didn’t say a word, Greg simply nodded understandingly. “Okay, why don’t you just let me take a look and if I think there’s anything concerning we’ll talk about it. How does that sound?”

Spike nodded woodenly then forced himself to step out from the corner he’d unconsciously backed into and drop the towels he’d covered himself with. Greg held eye contact with him, calm and compassionate, until Spike felt himself relax just a fraction. 

Greg surveyed his body, asking about what he saw. “When’d you hurt your shoulder?” 

“When I was seven. Fell out of a tree.” More like pushed out of a treehouse. It wasn’t easy being the scrawniest kid in the neighbourhood.

“That bruise looks pretty recent, what happened there?” Greg was gesturing to a dark purple bruise on his abdomen, a present from one of the Alphas when Spike hadn’t worked as quickly as they’d wanted. “Wasn’t fast enough.” He said simply and left it at that.

The heat of the shower was rapidly dispersing and he was growing cold. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around his torso. He didn’t want to be seen as obstructive. Greg stepped behind him and sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly between his teeth. 

“And here?” 

“Training, from my handler.” He answered shortly. 

His last handler hadn’t returned from a job and the new one had wanted to establish dominance quickly. His method of punishment had left a series of welts and cuts along Spike’s back. The last batch were only a few days old so the pain was still present.

There was a long moment of silence and Spike shifted uncomfortably. He couldn’t see Greg’s face and it bothered him that he couldn’t get a read on whether this was something that excited him or not. Thinking quickly, Spike peaked a look in the mirror to his left. It was still a little whited out from the steam of the shower but he caught a glimpse of Greg’s face. He looked so sad that Spike overcame his instinct to stay silent to reassure him. “It’s not as bad as it looks, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore.”

He risked another peak at Greg’s face in the mirror only to find Greg doing the same. Their eyes met and Spike found he couldn’t tear his away. His heartbeat sped up but for the first time in a long time it wasn’t from fear. It was from yearning. 

He wanted the things Greg appeared to offer him. The gentleness, the compassion, the safety. But as Greg reached up to rest a hand on his shoulder, Spike tensed and the moment between them crashed and splintered across the floor. Because it was an illusion. There was no safety for a person like him. 

“Let me put some antiseptic on the worst of those welts. Then you can get dressed and we’ll head on.” Greg’s voice seemed tired and strained, with an undercurrent of anger. Spike just didn’t have the energy to deal with all the emotions swirling around. He wished he knew the rules, knew where he stood. The uncertainty was killing him.


	7. Questions and Answers

Fifteen minutes later, after Greg had stepped out to give Spike some privacy to get dressed, they were back in the car again. 

This time Sam was driving, Ed in the passenger seat and Greg was sitting next to Spike. Spike’s hands were unbound, which felt odd as he was always bound when being transported. He held his wrists loosely together in the center of his lap, wanting to show he knew how to behave. 

His window was fogged up and he couldn’t see out of it. That bothered him, as he rarely travelled in daylight so the world outside was a sight he longed to see. He twice caught himself as reached towards the window to clear it, forcing his hands back together in his lap. 

After he caught himself the third time, and resolved to focus his attention on his hands rather than the window, Ed let out a sound of wordless frustration and spoke. “Sam, pull over.”

They pulled into a lay by, and Ed got out, stalked around the car to Spike’s door and opened it. Spike tried to move out of reach but was constrained by his seat belt and the presence of Greg next to him. But Ed’s attention wasn’t on him, it was on the window, which he was cleaning with a cloth. He slammed the door closed and returned to the passenger seat.

Sam put the car into drive and they continued on their journey. Spike didn’t dare lift his head from his lap, his body replete with tension. Greg spoke quietly.

“Eddie, it was a nice gesture but if he’s too scared to look out the window now, it kinda takes away from it, you know?” 

And Greg reached over and put a hand on top of Spike’s, which were intertwined on his lap, as rigid as if they were zip tied together. He felt warmth slowly seep from Greg’s hands into his before Greg gently pried his hands apart and moved Spike’s right hand so that it was held between two of Greg’s own.

“Spike, buddy” Ed called. Spike slowly raised his head to find Ed had twisted around in his seat and was waiting for Spike to look up. “I’m sorry if I scared you. You can go ahead and look out the window if you want. You can wipe it clear if it fogs up again. Just don’t open the door okay?”

Boundaries. He was setting boundaries. That helped make Spike’s world just a little more secure. “Okay Ed.”

Ed smiled and nodded before returning his attention to the road. A minute later the radio was turned on and music filtered through the car. Ed starting singing along and Sam tapped the steering wheel in time to the music. 

Spike finally felt comfortable turning his attention to the window. There was a sparkling city outside, glittering in the bright sun despite the cold. He wondered what season it was. Winter or Spring? He wondered what city it was? His memories from childhood were vague and cloudy. Was this home?

He peered out, fascinated by everything he saw. Road signs, office buildings, shops, cafes. And people, everywhere. Children of all sizes, adults of all shapes. 

A gentle squeeze of his hand brought his attention back inside the car. Greg asked quietly “When was the last time you had a good look out a window?”

“In daylight?” Spike said. He tried to wrack his brain - how old had he been when they’d started covering his head or putting him in the trunk or back of a van when they travelled in daylight? “I don’t know, maybe twelve years?” 

“Twelve years?!” he heard Sam exclaim from the front. Greg’s hands on his went still and when he spoke, his tone was very gentle. “Spike, what’s your real name?”

The outside word forgotten, the car suddenly became a very small space. No-one was supposed to ask that question. It was against the rules. No-one had asked him that in a very long time. 

“Spike, my name is Spike. Just Spike.” He said in a rush, near babbling. 

He opened his mouth to repeat himself, but Greg spoke first, squeezing his hand gently. “Okay Spike, that’s okay. We can talk about it another time. You can go back to enjoying the view.”

But Spike couldn’t. Not now. The question had reminded him. There was a reason he wasn’t supposed to be able to look out the window in daylight. Just like he wasn’t to have any name but Spike. 

When he tried to extract his hand from Greg’s, Greg let go immediately. He placed his hands back in his lap and focused his gaze back upon them. The music in the car flowed around them, but it no longer raised any cheer.

***

They were a sombre bunch, Greg noted, as they parked up and headed inside. The unmistakable fear in Spike’s face when Greg had asked him his name spoke volumes. 

Sam walked with Spike ahead of them and Greg and Ed let them gain some distance before speaking. “Twelve years? He couldn’t have been more than what, fifteen?” Ed asked. 

“Yeah, there’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye. He might not even have presented as an Omega at that point.” Greg said.

“But what other reason would someone have had for taking him if not as an Omega?” Ed asked, bewildered. 

“That, my friend, is what we need to find out. Hopefully Guns and Gangs got some info for us from the surviving suspects.”

Sam had paused at the entrance with Spike, who was looking up at the building in trepidation. 

“Come on Spike, let’s get you an ID and we’ll talk through the rules.” Ed said, taking Spike by the arm and leading the way. Greg had noticed what Ed had also discovered - that Spike responded well to clear boundaries. Once he got a bit of stability, he’d hopefully relax more.

ID badge sorted and pinned to Spike’s shirt, Greg let Ed and Sam show Spike around and go through the ground rules while he checked in with Winnie. 

“Morning Winnie” “Morning Sarge.”

“How’s it looking?” Greg leaned on the counter, giving Winnie his full attention.

“All quiet this morning. Team 4 had a busy night but clocked off on time. Warrant due to be served today has been postponed until Thursday due to some legal issues. Oh and, Beckett from Guns and Gangs is waiting for you in the briefing room. Got here about ten minutes ago. I got him some coffee and he’s enjoying the view.”

Greg looked towards the briefing room where he could see Leo Beckett standing at the window, coffee cup in hand. 

“Thanks Winnie, I’d better go see what he has to say.” Greg appreciated that Winnie hadn’t asked about Spike, though he knew she’d have been fully briefed by station gossip. Team One needed time to figure things out for themselves without everyone looking over their shoulders.

“Good morning Leo.” “Morning Greg.” They’d worked together in Homicide years ago. Leo could be a prickly guy, especially in the morning. 

“You have something for me on Spike?” 

Leo took a seat at the table, and Greg sat opposite. 

“Yeah, one of the Alphas who surrendered is ex-Special Ops. Been working with this crowd about two years and has known Spike since then.”

“So they’ve been using him as an Omega to stabilise Alpha teams?”

“That’s just it, they haven’t. He’s their technician and electronics expert. Expertise with munitions and their disarmament too. A lot of their jobs were legitimate - contracted out by the CIA, NSA and our own intelligence services to name a few. Not sure they knew who or what they were contracting exactly.”

“So the fact that he’s an Omega?” Greg prodded.

Leo shrugged his shoulders. “He got the impression it was an imposition to them most of the time, but came in useful keeping Spike in line and for improving stability in Alpha teams when they used them.”

“So Spike was a prisoner?”

Leo rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful, before offering a response. “More or less. He always had a handler, behaviour tightly controlled, never let outside without two or three people accompanying him. Always restrained or drugged when they travelled.” Leo let out a bark of laughter. “He certainly wasn’t a volunteer. And they sure as hell weren’t paying him.”

There was a clear hesitation before Leo spoke again. “The Alpha mentioned witnessing a lot of abuse directed towards Spike, physical, emotional, even sexual. Says the previous handler was more careful with him but the latest one was a pretty sadistic bastard.”

Greg took a breath and tightly reined in his emotions. It wouldn’t do Spike or the team any good for their Sergeant to have an emotional meltdown.

“Thanks for the info Leo, I appreciate you coming out this morning.”

Leo took a last mouthful of coffee from his cup. “No problem Greg. We might need to speak to Spike sometime this week. Take a statement.” At Greg’s expression he hurried to add “With your team’s permission, of course.”

“We’re on precarious ground as it is with Spike, I’m not sure subjecting him to an interrogation is going to yield many answers.” Greg gave Leo a brief summary of Spike’s time with them so far.

“Hell of a situation Greg. I’ll try and hold my people off as long as I can.”

“I’d appreciate that Leo.”

Greg walked Leo out before going in search of his team.


	8. Wanderings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Angst and cake ahead

Ed’s instructions were clear and concise. Don’t leave the floor or the building unless accompanied by one of them. Don’t enter the gun cage. Don’t touch anything. Don’t go into the file room. 

For the first while, as Team One held their debrief, Spike sat with Winnie at reception. He grew bored and fidgety after a while and Winnie suggested he go explore the store rooms. 

He wandered from room to room, seeing an array of familiar equipment for surveillance, munitions defusion and tactical entry. He was in the second room when he noticed something in the back covered by a dust-sheet. Curiosity got the better of him and after ensuring he was alone he carefully pulled off the sheet to see what was underneath. 

It was breathtaking. Like nothing he’d seen before. Sure, he imagined technology like this, daydreamed about building something like it, but he never thought it actually existed. But it looked like it hadn’t been used in months. Despite the cover, there was dust in the cracks and crevices. There were a few dents and scratches too. Maybe it had been damaged?

Despite Ed’s warning, Spike’s curiosity was too much to resist. He knelt down beside it and pried off the cover to have a look underneath.

He didn’t know how much time had passed; seconds, minutes, hours. He was so engrossed in what he was doing, he didn’t even hear the footsteps behind him until a voice disrupted his train of thought. “What are you doing in here?”

Spike looked up to find one of the members of Team One, Officer Wordsworth, "Call me Wordy, everyone does.” staring at him and the little pile of technology he’d amassed around him while taking apart the machine.

Spike put down the circuit board he’d been studying and looked from the mess to Wordy and back. There wasn’t really anything he could say.

“I think you’d better come with me.” Wordy said firmly. Spike stood, mindful of the bits and pieces strewn across the dust sheet and crossed to where Wordy stood. Wordy walked him back to the briefing room.

The others were still there. Ed, who was standing over the table looking at a blueprint, smiled when he saw Spike. That smile turned to a frown when he caught sight of Wordy’s face. 

“Where’d you find him?” Greg asked. 

“In the store room dismantling the anti-explosives robot.”

There was a heavy silence before Ed spoke. “Spike, I told you not to touch anything.”

Spike didn’t try to defend himself. At least now he’d know how bad things would be when he did something wrong. He fixed his gaze on the table and waited. He didn’t expect more questions but he was beginning to realise these men liked questions. 

“Spike, what were you doing exactly?” asked Greg.

“It doesn’t matter what he was doing. I told him not to touch anything.” This was from Ed, sounding peeved. 

“Anything? Maybe we should’ve been a bit more specific.” said Sam. ‘Defending him?’ Spike wondered, unused to having people speak up for him.

“Oh come on, he knew what I meant and he sure as hell would have realised that technology like that was off limits.”

As he spoke, Ed moved closer to Spike, until he was standing right in front of him. He used one finger to lift Spike’s head up to meet his gaze. Spike didn’t dare to breath, feeling the anger rolling off Ed, then blurted out the first words that came to mind.

“I can fix it.”

Ed moved back and Spike let his gaze drop back to the floor. He’d done it now. No better way for an Omega to incense an Alpha than by suggesting he had a priority other than them. When Ed reached for him again, Spike stumbled in his haste to move out of reach. Hands on his shoulders steadied him from behind. Wordy.

“Easy Spike. Why don’t we all sit down?”

He was pushed forward and into a chair. When he risked a glance up, Ed was sitting across from him looking perturbed. Wordy, who’d herded him into the chair, had taken the seat to Spike’s left and Sam was sitting on Spike's right, looking concerned. Greg was sitting next to Ed. Lou and Jules sat between Wordy and Greg.

Every eye was on him and Spike shuffled nervously. They were angry with him but they weren’t reacting or correcting him. It was confusing. His boundaries, so secure an hour ago, were unravelling fast. 

He missed his handler. There’d have been no confusion had he caught Spike touching something forbidden. Just Spike lying flat on his stomach and his handler beating him with a belt or stick. 

“So it turns out Spike has somewhat of a gift with electronics.” Greg’s voice interrupted Spike’s train of thought. “The Alpha that Guns and Gangs questioned said technology is second nature to him. He has expertise in computer programming, munitions and bomb disposal. That’s why the Beta camouflage and the room with all the tech we found him in.”

Spike raised his head and took a furtive look around the room to gauge their reactions. Expressions ranged from confused to thoughtful. Except Ed, who still looked angry. 

Ed, Spike reasoned, was like his handler, setting the boundaries and rules and monitoring his behaviour. Maybe if Spike could just direct him a little in regards actions and consequences, they’d both feel better. 

He spoke up. “I’m sorry Ed, I shouldn’t have broken the rules and touch the AER.” Ed nodded in acknowledgement, seemingly surprised at Spike’s use of the correct acronym, when Spike stood and moved around the room towards him. 

Spike unbuckled his belt as he walked and looped it, handing it to Ed as he reached his side. He could see the question Ed was about to ask, so he moved back and dropped to the floor, lying flat on his stomach. Then, he waited.

There was a brief muddle of voices above him before Greg spoke over them. “Give us a few minutes here guys.” Three sets of footsteps left the room. That left his three Alphas.

“What is this?” Ed asked and Greg answered, voice strained. “It’s how his handler punished him. He has cuts and welts all over his back.” 

It was going to hurt getting new ones over the previous, but Spike had had worse.

He heard Ed pull back his chair and move towards him, then crouch next to him. He flinched as a hand settled on his lower back, then bit back a whimper as his shirt was pushed up. He knew from experience how much worse it hurt on bare skin. There was a murmur of disapproval from the man kneeling next to him and Spike stilled automatically. He was surprised when his shirt was gently tugged back into place. 

“Spike, buddy, I am not using this belt on you. That’s not how we do things here at the SRU. Pain is not a motivator for change. When someone does something wrong, we talk it out. And Sam’s right, I should have been more specific and we should have given you something to do so you didn’t get bored. Come on, buddy, up you get.”

Spike was gently tugged to his knees then to his feet. Then, to his surprise, enveloped in a pair of arms that hugged him gently. He tried to hold himself together but it was so hard with the protective Alpha scent surrounding him and he found himself relaxing into the embrace.

After a long minute Ed pulled away, before he leaned back in, hand cupping Spike’s face and placed a single chaste kiss on Spike’s lips.

Spike stared at him in wonder as they sat back down at the table, his lips still tingling from the contact.

Greg’s voice pulled him back to the present. “Spike, as much as I’d love to let you cut your teeth on our anti-explosives robot, we’d better have you start with something that doesn’t cost more than all our yearly salaries combined.”

Sam interjected. “What about the control interface that Jules dropped last week? That still isn’t working right.” 

“Sure, that’s a good idea. How about it Spike, you feel up to doing some repair work?” Greg asked with a smile.

They were going to let him work on electronics? “Yeah, I can do that. If I have the right tools.”

“Sam, help him find what he needs and set him up here so we can keep an eye on him while we work. Winnie will watch you if we go out on a call.” he added.

Twenty minutes later, Spike was sitting at the table, a broken piece of equipment in front of him and a selection of tools scattered around. Greg sat close by doing paperwork. Ed and Sam were with the rest of Team One in the nearby gym practising hand to hand skills.

The interface was easy to fix, simply a matter of replacing a broken LED. Without it, as a safety feature, the interface wouldn’t complete it's initialisation. 

That done, he turned his attention to the others across the hall and watched their interactions. Wordy seemed to be in charge of their exercise, showing them various moves before getting them to practise. Spike watched Ed effortlessly toss Sam to the floor for the third time and inwardly winced. 

After Spike had been watching them for a while, Wordy jogged over. 

“Sarge, I think Spike’s finished. Why don’t I bring him over and show him some moves?”

Greg, who’d been completely engrossed in his paperwork, looked around in surprise. “You finished already Spike?”

“Um, yeah.” Spike held up the interface and turned it on. “I ran a diagnostic and everything is functioning within expected parameters.” He waited nervously for Greg’s reaction. 

Greg smiled. “Good job, Spike. Go play with the others.”

Spike dutifully followed Wordy across the hall. He’d never had any kind of formal combat training, except when the team he’d been assigned to would decide he needed some, which was usually just an excuse to push him around. Sometimes his handler would intervene, more often not. 

In response to the rest of the team’s questioning glances, Wordy clarified. “I’m just gonna show Spike some moves. Keep him out of the Boss’s hair for a bit. He has a mountain of paperwork to get through in there.”

“Alright.” Ed said, “but go easy Wordy, he’s got some injuries.” 

“Don’t worry Ed, we'll stick to the basics and I’ll handle him with kid gloves. You guys get on with your practice.” He led Spike to a corner of the mat. He looked Spike up and down for a moment, taking in the ill-fitting trousers held up by a belt and the long sleeved shirt, clothes clearly borrowed. "You're not quite dressed for exercise but we won't be doing anything too strenuous."

“So have you done any self-defence training before Spike?” Spike shook his head. “No, sir.” 

“Spike, please call me Wordy.”. “No, Wordy.” Spike amended.

“Alright, we’ll start with the basics. First thing is stance. When you feel threatened, you have to be prepared, both physically and mentally, to defend yourself. The best way to do that, is to start with a stance that gives you strength.” 

They went on from there, Wordy showing him how to extricate himself from wrist grabs. Once Spike got the hang of it, Wordy sent him to practice with Ed and Sam. 

Ed was busy trying out a move with Lou so Sam brought Spike over to a corner of the mat to work. When Sam grabbed his wrist, Spike froze. Sam gently released him and talked him through the move again. They tried a second time and Spike froze again, unable to even take a step back into his stance. 

Wordy intervened and Spike had no problem doing just what Wordy has taught him to when he grabbed his wrist. But when Sam tried again, it was like Spike’s feet stuck to the floor. Bemused, Wordy called Ed over and had Spike try with him. He froze again, making no move to extract himself.

“Spike?” Wordy’s gentle tone caught his attention easily. “Have you done any physical training with Alpha’s before?” “A… a couple of times, yeah.”

“Did it go badly?” Wordy’s expression was open and friendly. Hands hanging loose by his side. “Badly?” Spike echoed. 

“Yeah, like maybe it usually end up with you getting overpowered and pinned to the floor?” Wordy clarified.

Spike wondered how he guessed that. Maybe he’d seen an Omega thrown into a sparring pit before. “Yeah, mostly.”

“Okay, well that’s not going to happen here. How about you practise with Sam and I’ll supervise. Just wrist grabs. Anything happens, which it won’t, because I know Sam and Ed like they’re my brothers, but if anything does happen, I’ll be right here to intervene. How’s that sound?”

Spike wasn’t sure why Wordy cared so much if an Alpha tossed him around a little. Most Betas he met usually made a point of staying out of Alpha/Omega relations. But he wasn’t in a position to argue so he conceded. “That sounds okay.”

They moved back to the mat, Sam explaining which move they would do. This time, when Sam grabbed his wrist, Spike managed to move into his stance and pull his wrist free. To his surprise he was greeted by a round of applause from the team and a pat on his shoulder from Wordy. Sam was grinning and smiling. “Alright, let’s try that again.”

After a few minutes, Sam swapped places with Ed. Wordy supervised the first few practises, but once he was happy Spike had relaxed enough to participate, he excused himself to help the others. Ed gave gentle encouragement and praise after each successful move but caught the wince Spike couldn’t quite hide as they continued. 

“Let me take a look buddy.” Ed said, pulling up Spike’s sleeve a little. The red marks from the zip ties stood out starkly on his skin, the surrounding skin starting to look red and inflamed. 

“Ouch, we should have realised, sorry Spike. Let’s leave the hand to hand for today and maybe get you an ice pack or two.” 

He left Spike back in the briefing room with Greg and returned a few minutes later with two ice packs. Sam followed him in and they took a seat either side of Spike, each taking an ice pack wrapped in a towel and wrapping them around Spike’s wrists.

“Spike alright?” Greg asked, surfacing from his paperwork to the unusual sight. 

“He’s fine.” Ed answered. “Just a few too many wrist grabs on top of the lacerations from the zip ties yesterday.”

Just as the cold began to grow uncomfortable, they removed the cold packs. “How’s that feel Spike?” 

“Better. Thanks Ed.” Spike said, flexing his wrists.

“Good. Time for lunch I think.” There was a general agreement around the table. 

***

There were no call outs that evening so they headed home promptly at six. It had already grown dark and Spike watched the lights as they passed through the city. 

“So I’m thinking pasta.” Ed said. He sitting in the back next to Spike. Sam was driving again. 

“Sound good to me. What do you think Spike?” Greg asked.

When Spike didn’t reply, Greg twisted around to look at him. “Spike, do you like pasta?”

Spike had a distant look on his face and was staring out the window. “Spike?”

The second try got his attention. “Um, yeah, I think so. I haven’t had pasta for a long time.”

“How long?” Greg was careful to keep his tone neutral. Questions about his past seemed to spook Spike. 

“I don’t know… not since I was a kid.” 

“What do you normally eat?” Sam asked. Greg could see the visible struggle on Sam’s face as he tried hard to keep his tone from betraying the anger he felt. Thankfully Spike, sitting directly behind him, was oblivious.

“Take out or tinned stuff usually, nothing sometimes if no one is in the mood to feed me or I’ve made someone angry.” Greg could see Spike didn’t get why they were so interested. 

“In our house, you help yourself to whatever you want from the kitchen whenever you want, okay? If you want something we don’t have, just ask.” Ed said firmly.

Spike looked a little bemused at Ed’s proclamation but Greg understood where he was coming from. Spike’s skinny frame suggested not enough food and, from the sounds of it, not the healthy balanced diet a young man needed.

When they got back to the house, Ed stopped Sam just inside the door and they had a whispered conversation before Ed headed for the kitchen to make dinner. 

Greg followed Sam and Spike into the living room. The nature of Ed and Sam’s covert conversation became clear as Sam pulled out their xbox console from the cabinet and began to set it up.

Greg watched as Spike hovered nearby. He was about to tell him to sit down, when Spike started helping Sam set the console up, connecting the wires to the television. Greg took a seat and watched them.

“So I’m guessing you’ve played before?” Sam asked as Spike connected the controllers.

“A few times, yeah. Not for a while though.”

“You want to pick a game?” Sam gestured to the shelf of games nearby.

Greg watched Spike as he perused the games, a look of fascination on his face. After a few minutes of this, he turned to Sam. “Which is your favourite?” 

“Depends what I’m in the mood for. When I just want to kick back and having some fun, Lou comes over and we play Mario Kart. Have you played?”

Spike, hanging on to Sam’s every word, shook his head. “Can we play that?” 

Spike had met Lou with the rest of the team earlier, but Greg felt Spike had been a little overwhelmed and the Beta half of their team a little blindsided by Spike’s arrival.

“Sure, Mario Kart it is. Can you grab it?”

Spike dutifully brought it over and they sat back on the couch to play.

Happy Spike was settled and calm, Greg made his way into the kitchen.

Ed was busy cooking. “Need any help?” Greg asked. “Sure, can you grab some cheese?”

“How’s it going in there?” Ed asked as Greg searched the fridge for the cheese.

“So far so good. Great idea by the way, what young man doesn’t like video games?”

Ed grinned. “Figured it was worth a shot. Now we ply them with food and soda and let nature take its course.”

Greg walked over and leaned in for a kiss. “Have I told you how much I love you?” “Yeah, yeah. You want to grab some plates?” When Greg turned to get them, Ed pulled him back into an embrace and stole another kiss. “It’s tough, I know, but we’ll get through this. All of us.”

***  
Spike woke while it was still dark and quiet. He needed the bathroom. Probably the two cans of soda Sam had plied him with while they played video games. He tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but time passed and it grew too painful to ignore. 

Peaking out into the hall, he heard near silence coming from the other rooms, except for the occasional snore. Taking a deep breath, he crept along the hall to the bathroom. 

Minutes later, feeling much relieved, he opened the door and went to step out into the corridor. But there was a cough, followed by the sound of someone moving. Had he woken them?

He froze in place and waited. Should he go back to his room now and just hope he didn’t disturb them or wait until they fell back asleep and then make his way back? 

The latter seemed the safer option. He was unwilling to attract attention in the middle of the night. He slowly eased himself down to sit on the cold tiled floor behind the door of the bathroom and leaned his head against the wall. 

Just a few minutes until they fell back asleep and he could creep past unnoticed, that was all. But as the minutes passed, his eyes grew heavy and, despite the cold, he drifted off.

He didn’t waken for more than an hour. Not even when Ed, half asleep, walked into the bathroom to relieve himself. It was only as Ed was washing his hands that he caught sight of the sleeping Spike behind the door. 

Frowning, he reached down and shook his shoulder gently. 

“Spike, wake up. What are you doing in here?” Then, after registering just how cold Spike’s skin was. 

“You’re freezing! Let’s get you back to bed buddy.”

A cold but sleepy Spike struggled to comply as Ed lifted him to his feet. “Sorry Ed, was tryin’ not to wake ‘nyone.” He started to shiver in earnest as the walked down the hall to the guest room. 

Ed pulled back the covers and gently manoeuvred Spike into the bed. He considered for a second, the climbed in after him. Spike went from mostly asleep to wide awake as he registered Ed’s presence beside him. 

“Easy Spike. We just need to get you warmed up, that’s all I promise.” And Ed had kept every promise made to Spike so far. 

“You’re not mad are you?” Spike asked. Ed didn’t ask what about, he knew that wasn’t what Spike needed to hear right now. He was just seeking reassurance. 

“No Spike, I’m not mad. Get some sleep, okay.” Ed wrapped his arm around Spike’s waist and pulled him closer, enveloping his cold body with warmth. Soon, Spike’s shivering stopped, then his breathing slowed and grew heavy. He fell asleep and Ed drifted off shortly after.

Greg woke them the next morning, trying, and failing, to look disappointed that Ed had broken the rule they’d agreed to about Spike’s bed being his own.

After the situation had been explained, Greg said simply “No more sleeping on the bathroom floor, okay Spike?”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cake is a lie. Naturally.


	9. Running

The second day they all had a good rummage around HQ for broken equipment for Spike to fix. Soon a small pile had amassed. Spike sat at the table in the briefing room, an array of tools to hand and went one by one through the items.

The team was called out early and Winnie popped her head in now and then to check he was okay but didn’t distract him from his work. There was a lot to fix and he was anxious to have it all done by the time they got back.

Sometime later Winnie offered him some lunch. 

“It’s okay, I’m not hungry.” He answered. He was rarely hungry when there was work to be done. She reappeared a few minutes later and left a sandwich and drink on the table beside him. 

His stomach growled after a while but he forced himself to ignore it. There was still a lot of work left to do and they day was passing quickly. 

He heard, rather than saw, the team return sometime later. He surveyed the table with dismay. He was only about halfway through his work. There was no way he’d be finished in time. He didn’t let the panic overtake him, instead forcing all his intention back on his work, which calmed him. So intent was he that he didn’t notice his Alpha enter the room. He jumped a little when Ed spoke. 

“Hey Spike.” Ed spoke, coming up beside him. “Sorry we’ve been gone so long. The call took longer than expected. Did you have some lunch?”

Spike looked up from the radio he was working on, then glanced at the untouched sandwich on the table and back to Ed. “Um.. I wasn’t hungry.” He needed Ed to go away and let him get back to work if he was to have any chance of finishing. “I um, I still have a lot to get through before the end of shift.” He indicated towards the table strewn with parts.

“Spike, put the tools down. You’re done for the day.” Ed’s tone was firm and unyielding. Spike put the radio and screwdriver back on the table. 

“Good. Come with me.” And with that, Ed walked from the room. Spike stood and followed, feeling hollow and numb inside. He’d done his best, tried really hard to get it all done but there’d been too much to get through. Not that he expected that excuse to work. It hadn’t before. 

Ed was bringing him to Sergeant Parker he realised, to tell him he’d failed. He wondered what Greg would do then. He was suddenly glad he hadn’t eaten that sandwich as his stomach twisted viciously. 

He saw Ed lean over and speak into Sergeant Parker’s ear. Spike hovered near the door of the locker room, watching. Greg looked up and catching sight of him, waved him in. “Come on in Spike. I hear you’ve been working hard all day.”

Spike forced himself to put one foot after the other and enter the room. He felt his breathing becoming ragged and it felt like time slowed as he made his way to stand in front of Greg. Greg was smiling, calm and encouraging. 

Spike remembered another boss of his who’d been like that. He’d smile and tell you whatever it was you’d done was okay or that everyone made mistakes. The first time Spike had been lulled into a false sense of security. It was only later that night, when he’d been dragged from his room and thrown on the floor in front of the man that he realised the danger behind the smile. 

It was better, he reasoned, to take punishment immediately rather than let anger simmer. The less time people had to think, the less inventive the punishment. 

“I’m sorry, I worked as quickly as I could but I didn’t get it finished. If I could go back to work until the end of shift I might be able to..” 

Greg held a hand up and interrupted him. “Spike, take a breath. It’s okay, we weren’t expecting you to have it all done by today. It’s just to keep you busy and stop you getting bored when you’re stuck here by yourself. And we certainly don’t want you working without breaks or taking meals.” There was a note of disapproval in Greg’s voice. 

“Sorry, Sir.” Spike’s voice was barely more than a whisper. 

“That’s okay, we should have been clearer. You’ll know for next time. Why don’t you go and eat your sandwich. We’ll talk again later.”

Spike left the room as quickly as he could. He returned to the briefing room and sat down, reaching for the sandwich which he ate without thinking or tasting. ‘We’ll talk again later’. He shuddered at the thought.

Sam came and fetched him after a while and he spent the rest of the afternoon helping with an inventory of equipment. Shift over, they drove home. It was Sam’s turn to cook and Spike helped him in the kitchen, setting the table and fetching things. 

He didn’t have much of an appetite and yawned a few times through dinner. He was relieved when afterwards Greg suggested he go straight to bed and offered to do the washing up. Sam went upstairs with Spike but disappeared into the shower. As Spike was getting ready for bed, a towel clad Sam poked his head in the door.

“Greg wants to talk to you - he’s in his room, said to pop in whenever you’re ready.” Then Sam was gone and Spike was left to wallow in his panic.

It took a few minutes to work up the courage to leave his room. When he reached Greg’s door, he debated on whether to knock but the door was open so he pushed it and went inside.

Greg was standing by the bed, shirtless, trousers unbuttoned. He turned towards Spike, belt in hand. Spike froze at the sight, panicked, mind racing. He couldn’t… wouldn’t.

He didn’t plan to run but his feet took off before his head could catch up and then it was too late, he was out the door and halfway down the stairs. He heard shouts behind him but he didn’t pause, wrenching open the front door and pelting down the steps, out into the cold night. And it was cold, he realised, in bare feet, sweat pants and t-shirt. 

He heard footsteps behind him while he was still in the driveway and just as he reached the sidewalk arms wrapped around him from behind and he was wrenched around and marched back to the house. He saw Sam and Greg’s faces in the hall, a blur as he was marched past them, up the stairs and, to his dismay, back to Greg’s room.

He regretted running. He’d only made things worse.

Ed pushed him to sit down on the bed and stood in front of him. Greg and Sam followed them into the room. 

“What happened?” Ed was angry, breathing hard. It was Greg who answered.

“I brought Spike in to show him the clothes we’d gotten for him. When he came in I was in the middle of getting changed, I turned around, I had my belt in my hand.” Greg’s breath hitched a little as he spoke. “Spike froze then just ran out the door. I didn’t have a chance to stop him.” 

Ed reached down and picked up the belt that had been discarded on the floor. When he spoke, his voice was strained. “This can’t happen again. If he’d gotten much further, if one of us hadn’t been right there to go after him…”

He trailed off. He was looking down at the belt in his hands, eyes sad. Spike kind of understood. He’d said he wouldn’t use the belt on Spike, but that was before Spike broke the most important rule. Now there was no choice, they had to punish him.

Ed flung the belt away and it hit the wall with a smack. Spike flinched at the sound, eyes wide, watching and waiting for what was about to unfold. 

But it was Greg who stepped up to him, not Ed. Maybe they’d take turns? Greg was still shirtless. Spike tried to show he knew how to be a good Omega. How to take a punishment. 

“How do you want me? Hands and knees?” His voice was dull, toneless. He turned around and knelt up on the bed. 

“Stop!” The word was a command and he froze. “Spike, turn around and sit back down.” Ed’s tone was even, though Spike could hear the tension behind it.

Greg had moved to the dresser, reaching for a shirt and pulling it over his head. He was shaking his head as he moved back towards them.

“Where were you running to Spike?” asked Ed, but Spike couldn’t take his eyes off Greg. He was the one in charge. He had full control of what was about to happen to Spike. Greg moved closer, step by step and Spike started to tremble. 

“I asked you a question Spike.” Ed’s tone was impatient, verging on angry, but Spike couldn’t tear his attention away from Greg who had moved to crouch in front of him. Spike was shaking, every part of his body vibrating with fear. 

Greg slowly reached a hand towards him. Spike whimpered but didn’t move. He would take what was coming to him. 

When Greg spoke, his voice was low and gentle. “Ssshh, easy now.” His hand cupped Spike’s cheek, though Spike flinched at even that gentle contact. 

“You think I’m going to hurt you?” Spike didn’t need to answer, his trembling form answered for him. “Because that’s what Alphas do right? They beat you, they rape you.” Spike whimpered again at the words and Greg shushed him gently, lightly stroking his hand across Spike’s cheek.

“Team One has never had an Omega before.” Spike blinked at the sudden shift in conversation. “Do you understand that Spike? We don’t use Omegas to stabilise Alpha teams, the Alphas bond and the teams self-stabilise with the help of Betas. Adding an Omega to our team wouldn’t be to stabilise, it would be to enhance. And a broken, beaten, terrified Omega won’t enhance any team.”

Spike wasn’t sure where exactly Greg was going with this but he was distracted by Ed, who had moved to kneel next to Greg, watching Spike intently. His anger seemed to have dissipated and there was something unfamiliar in his eyes. Spike looked beyond them to Sam. Their eyes met and Spike could feel the pull of the growing bond between them. 

His fear was slowly dialling down, inch by inch. He looked back to Greg, whose hand was still cupping Spike’s cheek. Greg gave him a gentle smile, and Spike was surprised to see tears in Greg’s eyes.

“Spike, you back with us?” Ed spoke. Spike met his eyes and nodded. “It’s really important that you don’t run, okay? If you get caught outside our protection, that can open you up to challenges. You could end up being passed around and wind up in the hands of people a lot worse than us. Buddy, we want to keep you safe and we aren’t going to hurt you.” There was raw emotion in Ed’s voice.

Spike felt a few tears slip down his face. “I’m sorry. I won’t run again, I promise.”

“Good. That’s good. Here, Greg got you some clothes. It’s just to tide you over until we can bring you out to do some shopping of your own.” He handed over a paper bag heavy with clothes. Spike looked from the bag back to Ed, bewildered, but remembered his manners. “Thank you for the clothes.” 

“What’s wrong Spike?” Greg asked. When Spike didn’t answer, he added “If you ever don’t understand something, just ask. You won’t get in trouble for asking questions.”

“You’re going to take me shopping?” Spike looks from Greg to Ed and back. Sam moved to sit beside Spike on the bed.

“Sure, once we’ve got the hearing over and done with next week. Why, you don’t like shopping?” Greg asked with a smile. 

“Or it’s been a really long time since you’ve been out like that?” Sam had hit the nail on the head and Spike nodded in reply. 

“Baby steps, Spike, we’ll do it in baby steps.” Greg said. “Guys, I think it’s time for bed. Come on Spike, I’ll get you settled.”

Greg walked Spike back to his room and followed Spike inside. “Sit down a minute Spike, there’s something I want to say.” 

Spike took a seat on the bed and Greg pulled a chair over and sat opposite. “I know you’re scared and that’s okay. I know you’ve gone through a lot at the hands of other people. I need you to know that what Ed says is true. We aren’t going to hurt you. And I’m not just talking about forcing a bond but the kind of casual violence you’re probably used to having directed at you. That’s not going to happen to you. Not with us.”

Spike didn’t reply to Greg’s words, but they made him stop and think. 

“I know you don’t believe me now but you will. Give us a chance to prove it to you.”

He got up then, moved towards Spike and leaned in to place a kiss on Spike’s forehead. “Get some sleep Spike. See you in the morning.”

Spike got into bed, but sleep was slow in coming. So much had happened these last few days and he had a lot to think about.


	10. Connections

The next day they were off shift for the first time in a week and the first time since they’d found Spike. They had breakfast together, coaxing a reluctant Spike to eat more.

Ed was hoping to make some progress on building a relationship with Spike after the young Omega had slept peacefully in Ed’s arms the other night, but with the events of the previous night on everyone’s mind it was almost like it hadn’t happened.

Sam seemed to have made more of a lasting impression. He’d even gotten Spike to join in, however tentatively, to their breakfast banter. The two of them cleared the table afterwards and Greg and Ed left them to it.

Upstairs, Greg followed Ed into his room, but it was Ed who spoke first. “About last night…”

“I’m not sure who he’s more scared of right now. You or me.” Greg interrupted, eyes downcast. “When you brought him over to me in that warehouse he looked like the thought I was going to flay him alive. I’m not sure I’ve got much further with him since.”

Ed sat down next to Greg, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Sam’s making progress, and he’ll learn to trust who Sam trusts.”

“But that won’t be enough to cement a bond.” Greg spoke both their fears aloud.

Ed shook his head in frustration. “I really thought I had made some progress the night I found him in the bathroom, but maybe I'm expecting too much too soon.” 

Greg gave him a knowing smile. “Eddie, you were going with your instinct and your instinct right now is to get close to Spike and bond. We have to remember that he’s not an Omega we've met at one of the social clubs. He hasn’t made a conscious decision that he wants to be bonded. Not yet anyway.”

Ed knew Greg was right. As much as he wanted to get close to Spike, they had to take things at the Omega's own pace, however slow.

“Any idea what we should do today?” After the events of the previous night, they’d been emotionally wrought and exhausted. No one’s planning got further than a good night’s sleep. That accomplished, they needed to take advantage of their time off.

“I was thinking we could invite the guys over, maybe watch a movie, have popcorn and pizza. Cement the team bonds a little, they’re frayed with everything that’s happened.” That was Greg, Ed knew, always thinking about the team as a whole as well as its component parts.

“That sounds great. It’ll be good for Spike to see everyone chill out and to spend more time with the rest of the team. Wordy’s the only one he’s had much interaction with so far.”

“Good, so that's settled. I’ll fill Sam and Spike in. We can spend the morning getting the house ready. I’ll do a run to the shops, maybe take Sam with me if you want a bit of time with Spike?”

Ed knew Greg had sensed his worry about Spike drawing parallels between Ed and his handlers. Spike himself had made that connection very clear in their interactions. Ed realised that that was both good and bad. Spike’s handlers had, to some extent, protected him. But they’d also been instrumental in causing him pain, at times failing spectacularly to protect him, probably when it mattered most.

“Those cuts on his back could do with a once over and a dose of antiseptic cream.” Greg added. “It might help if he sees your hands as healing rather than instruments of discipline.”

Ed contemplated that for a few moments before agreeing. “Worth a try I suppose. Though it might be better if you and Sam were around for that in case it goes south.”

“That sounds like a sensible precaution.” Greg admitted with a wry smile.

Greg went downstairs and Ed could hear him talking to the others, filling them in on the plan. He then heard three sets of footsteps coming upstairs and Greg gently directing Spike towards the shower. 

“Spike, Ed’s going to take a look at the injuries to your back when you’re done, to make sure they're healing okay. He’s in his room, just head in when you’re finished in the shower.”

Ed barely heard Spike’s reply but a few minutes later the shower turned on. He fetched the first aid kit and laid in out on the bed, then did a quick survey of the room, hastily stuffing two belts that had been hanging on the door into a drawer in the dresser as he heard the shower shut off.

Just when he was beginning to think he’d have to go and fetch Spike from the bathroom, he heard the door open, followed by a quiet knock on his bedroom door. “Come on in Spike.” he called.

Spike shuffled into the room, fully dressed, hair damp and sticking up at all angles. The sweatshirt he wore was too big and he clasped nervously at the overlong sleeves, not quite meeting Ed's eyes.

“It’s okay Spike, this won’t take long. Just take your shirt off and lie down on the bed. I’m gonna go wash my hands.”

When Ed returned a minute later, Spike was lying tensely on the bed, shirt off, head turned away from the door and resting on his arms. “Alright Spike, I’m just going to take a look at the wounds and put some antiseptic cream on them, okay?” Ed focused on being calm and reassuring.

“Okay Ed.” Came the muffled reply.

Ed moved around and sat next to Spike on the bed, getting a second look at the welts on his back. The redness had faded across most of them, cuts closed and healing. One area still looked a little red and Ed touched it gently, feeling for heat and tenderness. “Does that hurt Spike?”

“No.” Spike replied, but Ed could feel a slight increase in tension in the younger man. He gently pressed along the welt again and this time Spike shifted a little and made a small sound of discomfort. “Are you sure Spike, it looks a little inflamed?” Ed tilted his head and met Spike’s eyes.

“It’s a little sore.” Came the quiet admission, eyes watching Ed's face to gauge his reaction.

“Alright, we’ll keep an eye on it to make sure it’s not getting infected. I’ll put some antibiotic cream on it to be on the safe side.”

He took out the two creams, using he antibiotic first on the red area. “This will be a bit cold and it might sting a little okay.”

“Okay Ed.”

He applied the antiseptic more liberally, warming it between his hands before rubbing it in gentle circles along Spike’s back. As he worked down Spike's back, he realised a few of the welts continued beneath the waistband of Spike’s sweats.

“Spike, there’s a few cuts very low on your back. Can you move your sweats down a little. Just an inch that’s all.”

He was careful with his wording and instruction, not wanting to spook Spike or give him the wrong idea. If there was a hesitation before Spike complied, it was momentary. He seemed relaxed beneath Ed’s hands. 

Ed turned so he was facing Spike’s feet and continued working his way down his back, making gentle circles with his fingers. Spike made an involuntary sound of contentment and Ed felt the last of the tension melt away. As he reached the lowest point, he gave gentle reassurance. “Almost done Spike. Just say stop if this gets uncomfortable at all.”

Ed knew the cut skin beneath his waistband had to be pretty sore from being rubbed constantly by clothing. He carefully slid his hands beneath Spike’s sweats, smoothing a generous amount of the antiseptic cream across the swell of Spike’s buttocks. To his surprise, Spike arched towards him a little, making a surprised sound of pleasure.

Ed gently removed his hands. “Feels better, huh?”

“Yeah, thanks Ed.” Spike spoke more certainly this time.

“Anywhere else hurt I need to see?”

Spike sat up beside him on the bed. His sweats were still pushed down and Ed could follow the trail of dark hair from his stomach to where it disappeared below his sweats now riding low on his hips.

“Not really. Just my stomach and these.” And he gestured to a dark bruise on his abdomen that had begun to fade and the ligature marks on his wrists from the cuffs.

“Alright, good. How about you lie back down for a few minutes and let the cream sink in a bit.” When Spike hesitated, eyes downcast and biting on his lower lip, Ed spoke again. “Something wrong Spike?” 

“My shoulder hurts a bit.”

That was new; Spike volunteering an injury they couldn’t see. 

“Which one?” Ed asked, and Spike pointed to his left shoulder 

“Okay, turn around and let me take a look.” Spike turned his back to him again and Ed leaned in with both hands, placing one on each shoulder. Both shoulder’s looked okay, but Spike’s left was a little hot to the touch and when Ed pressed in gently he could feel the swell of strained and tense muscle. 

He let go and got Spike to move both shoulders before testing the range of movement in each himself. It didn’t look like a bone or tendon problem, just a pulled muscle. Probably from being cuffed the other day and exacerbated by Ed manhandling him back inside the previous night.

“I think it’s just a muscle strain Spike. We can put hot and cold packs on it to get the swelling down but let me try something first.”

He instructed Spike to lie back down on his stomach and using two hands this time, began a gentle massage of the muscle, then deepened it by using his thumbs to exert a firm pressure when he found the points of highest tension. “Take nice slow breaths and try to relax Spike, focus on relaxing the muscle and the pain will ease. That’s it buddy, good job.” 

He gave Spike a break and went to work on the right shoulder, which showed a little bit of strain but not nearly as much as the left. When he returned his attention to the left shoulder, the muscle was a lot more relaxed and he contented himself with a gentle massage of both shoulders and neck. Spike was so relaxed under his arms that when Ed finally finished, he was more asleep than awake.

Greg chose that moment to peak his head in the door. “All okay Ed?”

“Sure thing Greg.” Ed replied with a whisper, a satisfied grin on his face. When he moved off the bed, Spike made as if to get up, eyes still half closed. “Spike, lay down as long as you like buddy. Come downstairs whenever you feel up to it.” Ed reached out and ran a hand gently through Spike’s still damp hair. Giving a contented sigh, Spike relaxed back down on the bed.

Ed found Greg waiting for him in the hall. “It went well I take it?”

“He’s touch starved, from the look of it. Once he realised I wasn’t going to hurt him, he calmed right down and stayed that way.”

Greg smiled, clearly relieved. “That’s great progress Ed, really great. Sam and I are going out now. We’ll be back in a bit.”

“Why don’t I head out with Sam and you spend some time with Spike?” Ed offered, knowing how uncertain Greg was feeling after the previous night. Most of Spike’s fear had been directed full force at Greg, which was hard for the compassionate negotiator. He wasn’t used to being seen as the bogey man. 

“That’d be nice, thanks Ed. Sam has the shopping list.” 

***

It was cold air on his bare skin that woke Spike. He sat up in the unfamiliar room and tried to remember how he’d ended up there. The recollection of Ed tending to him returned and he couldn’t help but smile to himself even if he was a little bewildered by what had happened. He’d had handlers treat his injuries before, but no one had ever taken that much care of him. 

He had thought maybe Ed wanted to bond, or accelerate the return of Spike’s heat, but his hands had been nothing but caring and he’d asked for nothing in return.

Spike picked up his sweatshirt and pulled it on before padding downstairs to see where the others were. He found Greg in the living room, eyeing the furniture.

“Hey Spike. Sam and Ed have gone to get the groceries. I’m just thinking we should open these doors up so people can move in and out of the kitchen more easily. What do you think?” The living room and kitchen/dining room were separated by dividing doors that could be opened up to make one larger room.

“That seems like a good idea.” Spike volunteered cautiously. 

“Yeah, I thought so too.” Greg responded with a smile. “You feel up to helping me with the doors. Ed said your shoulder’s a bit sore.” Spike was surprised at the concern in Greg’s voice. He wasn’t used to people caring so much about his welfare.

“It feels a lot better now.” He admitted softly.

“Well that’s great, but take it easy okay, we don’t want to make it any worse.”

Spike spent the next hour helping Greg set the table with everything they’d need for the afternoon. Just as they were finishing up, there was a knock on the door.

“Stay there Spike, I’ll be right back.” Greg left the room. The front door opened and Spike heard voices. A minute later footsteps and voices moved towards the kitchen. The door opened and Greg entered, followed by two men Spike didn’t know.

“Spike, these are Detective’s Leo Beckett and Andrew Callington. They were hoping to ask you some questions.” Greg seemed angry, Spike thought. Had Spike done something wrong?

The two men stepped further into the kitchen as Greg moved to Spike’s side and turned to face them. As the detective’s turned their gaze on Spike, he unconsciously moved closer to Greg, stepping a little behind him and latching on to his shirt with one hand. Greg didn’t seem surprised at Spike’s actions, but the detective’s were. They looked at one another before Beckett spoke.

“Spike, do you feel up to answering a few questions?”

Spike shrank back into himself a little as he was spoken to, while at the same time moving himself a little closer to Greg. 

The other detective spoke then. The look of disgust on his face made Spike shudder.

“Omega, if you’re not going to answer our questions then we’ll take you down to the station with us. Spending the night in a cell might loosen your tongue.”

That got a reaction, but not from Spike. Greg moved suddenly, pushing Spike behind him and standing up to his full height. “Detective Callington, you are way out of line here. You have no jurisdiction over Spike. He is our Omega. You need to leave, right now.”

Detective Callington looked like he was about to argue, when Beckett grabbed his arm and spoke quietly but forcefully into his ear. Detective Callington’s face coloured and he looked from Greg’s stony face to Spike’s, who was peaking out over Greg’s shoulder, then Callington turned and stalked back to the front door.

The other Detective delayed a moment. “Sorry about that Greg. He and the Sarge were insistent we do this here and now. I told them there were better ways to handle it but…” he shrugged his shoulders.

Spike was huddled so close to Greg that he could feel the vibrations of his chest as he spoke. “No worries Leo, I knew this wasn’t coming from you. But if this is going to happen, it will be at our discretion and under out terms.”

The detective said goodbye and followed his colleague out. Spike heard the front door close and felt Greg sigh and relax. He released his hold on Greg’s shirt a little and waited to see what would happen next. He was a little in awe of what Greg had just done. He’d protected him, with his body, with his words. Greg turned around slowly to face him and Spike took a half step back, not wanting to move too far from the man keeping him safe. 

“Are you okay Spike? I’m sorry if they gave you a fright buddy.”

“You didn’t let them take me.” Spike couldn’t hide the surprise and wonder from his voice.

Greg shook his head ruefully. “No one is taking you anywhere Spike, you hear me?” and he drew Spike into an embrace. Spike let the protective Alpha scent surround him and relaxed in Greg’s arms. They were still like that when Ed and Sam arrived home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a chapter entitled Team Bonding but almost 3,000 words in and the Team hadn't quite arrived on scene. Guess what tomorrow's chapter will be called?


	11. Team Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Recollection of past non-consensual/underage rape. Nothing detailed or graphic, but it's there.

“What happened?” Ed knew immediately something was wrong. Greg and Spike were in the kitchen, and though they’d been locked in an embrace when Ed and Sam had walked in, Spike had moved behind Greg’s body, using him like a shield. Ed was gratified to see that despite his actions, Spike relaxed almost immediately on seeing Ed and Sam.

“We had a visit from Guns and Gangs.” Greg said and filled them in on the Detective’s short visit. As Greg talked, Ed watched Spike as he slowly moved to stand by Greg’s side, though his hand still held tentatively to Greg’s shirt.

“They can’t just threaten Spike like that.” Sam broke in as Greg finished. Greg held up his hand to forestall the rest of whatever Sam was going to say. “I know Sam, and I’ve handled it. I’ll put a call through to Commander Holleran, get this sorted out through higher channels. In the meantime, we have a movie night to get ready for.”

They unpacked the groceries and got the food ready for their evening. The rest of the team were arriving in the early afternoon.

When the doorbell rang, Ed noted that Spike immediately sought out Greg, who was busy trying not to burn the popcorn in the microwave. Ed went to answer the door, unsurprised to see that all three Beta's had arrived together. 

He invited them in, but stopped them in the hallway briefly.

“Guys we’ve had a tough night with Spike and a visit from Guns and Gangs this morning complete with a threat to arrest Spike if he didn’t talk. He’s understandably shaken so tread softly okay. The plan for today is just an evening of team bonding, good food and good company. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds great Ed.” Jules chimed in enthusiastically, while Lou and Wordy nodded in agreement.

Ed followed Jules as she made her way to the kitchen while Wordy and Lou headed for the living room where they were greeted by Sam.

“Hi Greg, hi Spike. I brought brownies.” Jules announced her arrival with her customary enthusiasm.

Spike was standing a little behind Greg, who moved to greet Jules with a hug. “Thanks for coming Jules. And you know how much we love your brownie.” 

Spike hung back. When Jules moved around Greg towards him, he took a hurried step back. Ed watched Jules pause and evaluate the situation. “Hi Spike, I hear you had a rough morning.” Spike gave a barely perceptible nod in reply.

“You know what I find good when I’m having a hard day?” She had Spike’s full attention though he didn’t answer her. “Watching Finding Nemo. Have you seen it?” Spike shook his head.

“It’s this really great film about a clown fish called Nemo, who gets lost in the Ocean and his Dad goes looking for him. And there’s surfer turtles, and vegetarian sharks, and a fish school. You want to come with me and see if we can convince Sam to let us watch it?” Jules enthusiasm was infectious and Spike nodded and followed her into the sitting room.

“Finding Nemo?” Greg asked in puzzlement. “Whatever works.” Ed replied, shaking his head with a smile.

Wordy joined them in the kitchen a few minutes later. “Spike seems a little… uncertain around us. Even Jules.” He was choosing his words carefully. 

“We’re winning him over, but it’s a slow process.” Greg replied. “He’s only just coming around to realising that we’re aren’t like all the Alphas he’s been around in the past. It’s a lot to get his head around.”

“He does a little better with people closer to his own age.” Ed added, realising Wordy would probably have the same problem he and Greg did. “So he’s been more relaxed with Sam than either of us so far.”

“He doesn’t seem that relaxed right now, even with Sam.” Wordy added.

Puzzled, Ed moved towards the dining room and looked into the sitting room. Spike was sitting on the couch between Sam and Jules. Lou was on the other couch. Spike did seem on edge. His eyes met Ed’s as soon as he appeared in view but then looked past him to Greg who had moved to stand next to him. As soon as he caught sight of Greg, Spike visibly relaxed. 

“Think we have a problem?” Ed asked Greg in a quiet aside as Wordy came to stand with them.

“Maybe. Can’t say I’m surprised after this morning.”

They gathered up the bowls of popcorn and drinks and brought them inside. The shades had been pulled down and the room was in semi-darkness. Wordy sat next to Lou, and Ed and Greg took the other couch. They were distracted momentarily by the distribution of popcorn and soda. When Ed looked around he saw Spike had moved and was sitting on the floor at Greg’s feet.

Greg looked bemused but handled it deftly. “You can’t sit on the floor Spike. Why don’t you go back and sit with Sam and Jules. You’ll have the best view of the screen from there.”

Ed wasn’t surprised when Spike’s only response was to glance at the door leading out to the hall then move himself closer to Greg’s legs. 

“They’re not coming back Spike, and even if they did, there’s not a single person in this room who would let them take you. We’re all part of a team Spike and that includes you.” Greg said.

“See Jules over there, she can throw a man almost twice her size to the ground and barely break a sweat and she can absail down a building like she’s spiderman. Lou, he’s our expert in non-lethal weaponry and the calmest guy to have at your back in a crisis. And you’ve seen Wordy’s close combat skills already. And you know that Sam, Ed and I are not going to let anything happen to you.”

As he spoke, he reached down and guided Spike to his feet, then he and Ed gently pulled him to sit between them on the couch. 

“Sam, let’s start the movie.” Greg instructed as Spike settled in beside them.

Within minutes Spike was absorbed in the film and appeared completely oblivious to all around him. He was slow to laugh at the jokes, though Ed felt it wasn’t that Spike wasn’t getting them but more that he and Greg weren’t as engaged in the film as Spike was and he was taking his cue from them. 

Ed called a brief time out. “More popcorn anyone?” and arranged a stealthy game of musical chairs when Spike went to the bathroom that meant when he game back, the only spot free was with Jules and Sam. “Come sit with us Spike?” Sam called, when he noticed Spike pause uncertainly in the doorway. 

Ed knew it had been the right call when, twenty minutes later, Spike was smiling and laughing along with the other two at the antics on the screen. When the movie ended, Jules managed to coax a few opinions out of Spike on his favourite parts and characters. 

They took a break then; he and Sam heading to the kitchen to put the pizzas in the oven. When Ed popped his head around the corner to check on things, he found Lou and Spike setting up the xbox.

***

After the film, Spike found himself alone with Jules and Lou. Well, not alone exactly. Ed and Sam were next door in the kitchen and Greg was on the other side of the room, deep in conversation with Wordy. But none of his Alphas were there to act as a buffer and he had Lou and Jules’ full attention.

“So Spike, Sam told me you and he played Mario Kart the other night? You up for a game?” Lou’s quiet manner was in contrast to Jules’ enthusiasm.

“Um, if Sam says it’s okay.” Spike wasn’t willing to do anything without the Alpha’s permission. “Sam, we’re gonna play some xbox. You in?” Jules shouted across to the kitchen, startling Spike. “Sure, sounds good to me.” Sam called back.

“And what are us old fogies supposed to do while you’re playing with your new fangled machine?” Greg complained, but Spike could see he was smiling. “Don’t worry guys, I’m sure we can dust off a chess board and set you up.” Lou joked.

By the time the pizza was ready, Lou and Spike were on their second game. “Winner plays Sam, loser plays Jules.” Lou said. “Hey,” Jules replied, “I’m no second rate kart rider.”

“Let’s pick another film, otherwise we’ll wind up spending the rest of the evening watching them race around a track.” Ed said, in between bites of pizza. “I vote for action.” Wordy said. “What about Die Hard?” 

“Or Terminator?” suggested Lou. “Terminator 2 surely?” Jules countered.

“Spike, you have a preference?” Ed asked. “Um, whatever you guys want to watch.” Spike said, not really familiar enough with any of the titles to know what they were about.

When their game finished, Spike losing narrowly to Lou, they set up again for the second movie. Greg distributed plates of Jules’s brownie with ice cream. There was more seat switching and Spike found himself sitting between Wordy and Lou.

They were watching Terminator 2, so as the film started, the two men took it upon themselves to get Spike up to date. That it was Spike’s sort of film was almost immediately apparent as he couldn’t tear his eyes from the action on the screen. When it ended, and the room was briefly plunged into darkness, he declared. “That was really cool. Can we watch the first one?”

“How about we save it for the next movie night?” Greg replied with a laugh, turning up the lights in the room. It was getting late.

“We’re doing this again?” Spike didn’t attempt to hide the excitement in his voice. 

“Yeah, we usually manage a movie night or a team dinner once a month or so. But we don’t have to wait for the next movie night to watch another film.” Sam answered. “Cool.” Spike answered and he couldn’t hide a deep yawn.

“I think it’s someone’s bedtime.” Ed said. 

“Time we should be heading too.” Wordy added, and everyone pitched in to carry bowls and glasses back to the kitchen.

Jules gave Spike a hug as they said goodbye. Lou clapped him on the shoulder, promising they’d have a Mario Kart rematch soon. It was Wordy’s goodbye that had the biggest impact. 

“So Spike, Shelley and I were hoping you’d all join us for dinner next week, to welcome you to the team.”

Spike was momentarily lost for words, he looked immediately to Greg and Ed, who both nodded their approval. “Um, thanks Wordy, that’d be really nice.”

“Great. Goodnight Spike, goodnight guys.”

After they saw the three out, the four men returned to the kitchen to tidy up further. After Spike’s third yawn in the space of a minute, Ed sent him to bed.

***

That night Spike had a nightmare. He was 16, recently presented as Omega and stationed in the middle of nowhere with a hard nosed group of soldiers. The leader of the team was an Alpha, one strong enough to see that the Beta camouflage of Spike’s was only skin deep. 

Spike’s handler had gone and gotten drunk with the soldiers that night and didn’t wake when the Alpha had unceremoniously dragged Spike from his bed and across to his tent. He remembered being flung to his hands and knees on the floor, had remembered the Alpha pawing at him, holding him down. Pressing into him. He remembered a pain so terrible it was like being split apart.

He awoke to the sound of thunder and scrambled out of bed. He was dazed and didn’t know where he was. He thought he heard footsteps. The Alpha, coming for him. A flash of lightning lit the room. Panicked, he hid the first place he thought of. The closet. 

Scrambling inside, he closed the doors and pushed his way right to the back, curling his knees to his chest and making himself as small as possible. 

‘Please don’t let him find me.’ He pleaded, over and over in his head. Lightning lit the room again, followed by thunder a few seconds later. Another strike hit and the light in the hall went out, plunging the room beyond into darkness.

Spike closed his eyes, glad of the dark and the quiet. He wouldn’t find him, not here, not now.

Then there were footsteps and the creak of his bedroom door as it opened. His heart sank. 

“Spike” a voice whispered. “Are you alright? Did the storm wake you?”

It wasn’t the Alpha’s voice, Spike realised. Which made sense now he thought through it, because there were no closets in his tent, and no electric lights for the storm to knock out.

The footsteps approached the bed and there was a sound of wordless confusion at finding it empty. Then footsteps moved around the room before finally narrowing in on the closet.

The doors were pulled open slowly and after a moment Spike could just make out Sam crouched in front of him, eyes watching him carefully.

“Not a fan of lightning storms huh?”

“I had a nightmare.” Spike admitted. 

“Must have been a pretty scary one.”

Spike didn’t respond, not wanting to recall the memory of that long ago night.

Sam reached a hand slowly towards him and Spike took it and let Sam pull him out of the closet and to his feet.

As Sam lead him towards his bed, Spike blurted out. “Can I sleep with you?”

“You want to come to my room?” Sam asked. Spike nodded. He could see Sam give it careful consideration before he agreed. “Alright, but just to sleep okay?” Spike was glad Sam had made the distinction. 

Sam led the way into his room and took the side of the bed nearest the door. Spike climbed in the other side and they lay face to face, close but not touching.

Spike could feel the thrum of his heartbeat under his skin and knew it wasn’t just the lightning storm but the proximity to Sam. He wondered if Sam felt the same way and if this was how it was supposed to feel between them and not usual mash of terror and pain that Spike had come to associate with it.

Sam reached out a hand and gently traced down Spike’s face, letting his finger brush across Spike’s lips. The touch was feather soft and left a trail of tingling wherever it contacted his skin. 

Feeling bolder than he’d ever been in the presence of an Alpha, Spike drew Sam’s hand towards him and kissed it. Sam’s eyes darkened and he shuddered a little. He pulled his hand away and Spike couldn’t help feel a little disappointed, quickly followed by a jolt of fear - had he done something wrong?

“It’s okay Spike, just don’t want to heat things up any more than they already are. Not yet okay. You need time and we’re going to give you that.”

Spike nods and can’t conceal a yawn. 

“Goodnight Sam.”

“’Night Spike. Sweet dreams.”

Spike smiled drowsily as he closed his eyes.


	12. The Hearing

The next two days were hectic thanks to a series of hot calls that meant that Spike barely saw the team. There wasn't a single broken electrical item anywhere in the SRU by the time he'd finished. The last call put both Ed and Sam in hospital for a night for observation leaving Greg and Spike alone in the house.

Spike couldn’t sleep, try as he might. Knowing Ed and Sam were in the hospital made him edgy. Like something was missing. Like he wasn’t as safe as he had been all the others nights he’d slept there. Every noise made him jump. Every creak of wood or passing car had him alert. 

It didn’t help that the hearing was tomorrow. He wasn’t sure what it meant exactly but he knew that if the Team One’s Alphas decided they didn’t want him, he’d be back to a life not unlike the one they rescued him from. 

How could they want him though? He hadn’t given them the one thing an Alpha truly wants from an Omega. And now he didn’t even have the chance to show Ed and Sam how much he wanted to be theirs before tomorrow’s hearing. He still had one chance though, and that was Greg.

It made his chest constrict with fear at the thought of what he’d have to do. But there was no way around it. He wanted to stay and Greg was the way that was going to happen.

It wouldn’t be too bad he reasoned, since he kind of wanted it too though not for exactly the same reasons. But who hadn’t bargained sex for safety or shelter? He was just doing what humans did, Omega's in particular. 

Steeling himself, he made his way to Greg’s room. He opened the door and slipped inside. But as he closed the door soundlessly, doubt began to seep in. What if Greg turned out to be like all the other Alpha’s who’d bedded him? Would life really be any better that way? 

But he remembered Greg’s gentleness, Ed’s promises and Sam pulling his hand away because Spike needed time. He had to believe things with them would be better than anything he’d had before, even if he did have to make sacrifices. And this would just be one of them.

As he approached the bed, Greg spoke softly. “Hi Spike. Can’t sleep?” and rolled over to look at him. “Me neither, house is so quiet without those two. You want in?”

Spike nodded and Greg pulled back the covers. Spike climbed in and put his back to Greg while scooting back towards him. Greg wrapped an arm around him slowly and Spike tried not to tense up. Then he leaned his head forward, baring his neck, and waited.

It was Greg who tensed then and carefully extricated his arm from around Spike’s waist. Spike waited for what would happen next. 

He didn’t expect Greg to get out of bed. Spike sat up, wordlessly protesting Greg’s reaction. 

“Spike, what are you doing?” Greg was standing at the end of the bed.

“What an Omega’s supposed to.” He answered hoarsely. He got out of bed and walked towards Greg, kneeling in front of him. As he reached for Greg’s waistband, his hands were caught and held in a gentle grip. 

“I’m going to ask again Spike. What are you doing?”

“Satisfying my Alpha, like a good Omega is supposed to.” He answered in bewilderment. Wasn’t it obvious? He’d bared his neck for Greg, asked to be taken.

Greg pulled him to his feet and walked him over to sit on the bed, taking a seat next to him. Spike was beginning to panic. This hadn’t worked out at all like he’d planned.

“Is this about the hearing tomorrow?” Greg’s voice was pitched low and gentle and it calmed the racing of Spike’s heart.

“I want to stay with you. I’ll do whatever you want. Please.” He was not ashamed to beg. 

“Spike, we’ve already decided you’re staying. We decided that the first night you got here. You must have realised that by now…” Greg trailed off.

The words took a long time to sink in and the doubt surfaced in Spike immediately. “But I haven’t…”

“And we hope one day you will, freely, but we’re content to wait. And if it never happens, it never happens. No one will force you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

Greg wrapped an arm around Spike’s shoulders and pulled him to lean against him. After a moment he spoke. “How long did it take you to work up the courage to come in here?” 

“A while.” Spike admitted, staring at the comforter beneath them. “You’re not angry” he asked timidly. 

“Not with you Spike, never with you.” He placed a gentle kiss on Spike’s forehead. “You still want to sleep with me?” Spike nodded wordlessly.

They got back into bed, and Greg took Spike in his arms again, placing a warm kiss on the back of Spike’s neck. It was enough to make Spike shudder and heat build low in his belly. That had never happened just from a kiss before.

They drifted off to sleep. 

Spike woke lying on his stomach, feeling a hand tracing slow circles across his back. When Spike flipped over on to his back to greet Greg, Greg’s hand moved to continue the circles on his stomach, tracing them over and over. 

Spike reached both his hands out to still Greg’s, then, like he’d done with Sam, brought the hand to his mouth to kiss it slowly. 

Feeling bolder, he reached for Greg’s shirt and pulled him towards him. Their first kiss was slow and chaste, their second hungrier, Greg’s hand cupping Spike’s face. Greg broke the kiss first. 

“Good morning.” It was said with a smile. 

“Morning.” Spike smiled and stretched, more relaxed than he’d been in a long time. “What’s for breakfast?” he asked. Greg laughed.

***

It was a straightforward hearing. The events of the raid on the warehouse were read into evidence, followed by the discovery of the Omega, Spike, and his subsequent placement with the SRU team.

Greg had insisted Sam and Ed not come, given they’d only been released from the hospital that morning. The hearing was a formality, nothing more.

So when the Judge said “There had been a contention submitted against the automatic awarding of custody to Team One of the SRU”, Greg sat up in surprise. His legal representative beside him tensed, and spoke in a quick aside to Greg. 

“That is very unexpected. Almost unheard of.” 

“To clarify.” The Judge continued, noting the confusion amongst the court. “It has been suggested by a branch of the military and intelligence service, that since the Omega has previously been contracted out to their services, they have a prior claim on him.”

Greg glanced over to where Spike sat, his Omega Support Officer sitting next to him. Spike’s eyes were wide with fear and confusion. Such a contrast to the happy contented Omega he’d been that morning. Their eyes met and Spike’s pleaded with him wordlessly.

“Can we fight this?” he asked his rep.

“Sure we can. But it might be time-consuming and costly, depending on who’s behind it. Let’s see what the Judge is thinking.”

“The legal precedent behind ownership through combat is clear, but if there is a prior claim through a party not involved in that combat, that claim should be heard. I will send an Omega Requirement Assessor to all parties to determine greatest need and more valid claim. Until then, the Omega will be remanded in our holding facility.”

The Judge stood up to dismiss the court.

“We can’t apply for custody?” Greg asked in desperation. “No,” his rep responded. “They won’t risk a bond forming before a decision is made.”

Spike’s Support Officer began to lead him away. Greg called over, “Don’t worry Spike, it’s gonna be okay buddy.” 

Spike kept eye contact with him for as long as possible until he was led out of the room.

“Those other claims can’t be considered valid if we prove they were contracting him not for his Omega status but for his other skills.” Greg said, thinking quickly.

“Exactly,” his rep agreed. “The Requirement assessor will determine that, but he’s also going to see that Spike, as an Omega, is as useful to you purely for those skills as he is to them. So it might not be enough to swing things in your favour.”

“What about proof of a bond? If we can prove Spike’s already forming a bond with us, can we at least speed up the assessment process? A week is a long time”

“I’ll see what I can do Greg.” The rep answered.

***

Ed was furious.

“We should’ve been there.” 

“Ed, it wouldn’t have made a difference. It was just an initial hearing, there was no chance for either side to make an argument. The Judge had already decided on her course of action.”

“And we can’t even go and see him?” this from Sam, who was looking pale and anguished and Greg knew it wasn’t just from the injuries that had landed him in hospital. He drew the younger man into an embrace.

“No, no visitors allowed in the Omega Holding Centre.”

“When is the next hearing?” Ed asked, clenching his fists in frustration.

“A week from today. Enough time for the Assessor to evaluate all the claims and report back to the Judge. They don’t like to leave Omega custody cases hanging for too long.”

“A week before we even know if we’ll ever see Spike again?” Sam said.

“A week where he’s alone and unprotected. He must be so scared.” This from Ed.

“I know guys, I know. But Spike is smart and resilient. He’s survived worse, he’ll get through this. And we will get him back.” Greg spoke with more certainty than any of them felt. 

***

Being processed into the Centre was what Spike imagined being processed into jail was like. 

He was told to strip, allowed to shower, then given a dusky grey jumpsuit to wear with an ID number on it. At least they omitted the cavity search, one thing to be thankful for. They took blood though, which Spike thought was odd, then gave him a shot of suppressant. 

He was brought to a room, a cell really, and locked inside. There was a mattress on the floor and rudimentary toilet in a slightly screened area in the far corner. His Support Officer had accompanied him all the way to the cell before promising he’d see Spike at next hearing.

As the door slammed shut, Spike let himself slowly crumple to the floor. How had this happened? Greg had said the hearing was just a formality. That they’d be home in time for dinner with Ed and Sam. That he and Sam could play video games for the rest of the evening. And now he might never see them again. 

The door opened and a uniformed man entered. Spike looked up but didn’t move from his position sitting on the floor.

The man eyed him distastefully. “I’ve never heard of a combat Omega who hasn't seen the inside of a training centre before. I guess we have our work cut out for us.” 

He looked to Spike entirely too pleased with the prospect. 

“On your feet, Omega. Now!”

Spike stood, noting as he did the training stick in the Custody Officer’s hand, very like the one his last handler had used.

“Good. Now let’s start with the basics. What do you do when a Superior Officer walks into the room?”

The officer walked around him and Spike felt a sudden sharp pain at back of his legs and he collapsed to his knees, crying out.

The guard moved to stand in front of him, using the stick to lift Spike’s chin until they were eye to eye.

“You kneel, just like this. Unless you want to feel my stick on your legs again.”

And just like that, Spike’s week of hell began.


	13. The Second Hearing

This time Sam, Ed and Greg were all in attendance, standing next to the legal rep. A representative from the military and intelligence resource centres stood nearby.

It was the blood test that saved them, in the end. It showed higher than normal levels of certain Omega hormones that would only be found in a bonded Omega or one in the process of bonding. It wasn’t enough to get an automatic granting of custody, their rep explained, but enough to speed the process up. So it was three days instead of a week before they were sitting back in the court room.

Spike was once again sitting next to his Support Officer, but he didn’t look up and acknowledge the three men who couldn’t take their eyes off him.

The Judge wasted no time in her pronouncement. “The Assessor found neither claim sufficiently superior. Therefore we must take other things into consideration”

The Judge turned her attention to the side of the court. “Omega Spike. Do you have a preference on who you’re placed with?”

All three men simultaneously relaxed. If it came down to preference, they’d have Spike home by tonight. So when Spike spoke, his words were like being doused in freezing water.

“To go wherever I’m most needed, your Honour.”

The Judge’s smiled faltered slightly, and she took in the rest of the court. Greg was sure she’d caught the shocked looks on all three of their faces.

“That’s an honourable sentiment, Omega Spike. You spent some time recently with the SRU Alphas. Is that correct?”

“Yes, your Honour.” Spike hadn’t lifted his head and was conducting the conversation, barely above a whisper, with the floor.

“Can you tell me a little bit about what that was like?”

Greg wasn’t sure what she was getting at exactly, but wondered now had she read the more detailed reports on Spike that he, Ed and Sam had submitted. Regarding Spike's state of mind and what they suspected he’d gone through. Not to mention the evidence of the formation of a primary bond.

Spike turned his head up a little to peak at the judge, who waited patiently for his answer. 

“It.. It was good. They gave me a safe place to sleep, and lots of food. And they let me work on electronics, and they didn’t get angry when I broke the rules on my first day.” He trailed off. 

Greg’s heart constricted at his words. He sounded like an abused child listing the good things about being in a foster home. 

“Would you like to go back there?” the Judge asked gently.

“Yes.” Spike’s reply was barely more than a whisper.

The Judge thanked Spike, then addressed the court at large. 

“I have some concerns about this Omega’s mental state. I feel he would not thrive well in a combat or intelligence situation. A placement with the SRU would keep him out of the field until he’s ready and provide him with some much needed stability. Therefore, I am awarding custody to the Alpha's of the Strategic Response Unit's Team One.”

Greg felt lightheaded with relief and caught the infectious grin that Ed and Sam shared. He looked towards Spike but the young man had yet to lift his head. ‘Probably won’t really believe it until we get him home,’ Greg thought.

What happened next surprised them.

“Your Honour, Custody Officer Murphy from the Omega Holding Centre would like to speak.”

“Of course, please address the court, Officer Murphy.”

“I’ve been the Omega’s designated officer for the three days, your Honour. There are significant deficiencies with regards to his training. I feel he would benefit from additional training time at the centre before being released on placement.”

Greg spoke hurriedly to the legal rep who spoke up quickly.

“Your Honour, the SRU trains their own recruits. They always have and always will. Outside training would be more harmful than beneficial in this case.”

“I agree. I appreciate your concern Officer Murphy, but it’s best we let the SRU handle their own.” Most of the court failed to notice the disappointed look on Murphy’s face or the relief on Spike’s, but Greg certainly did.


	14. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to give fair warning, subsequent chapters will be every second day as I don't have as much time dedicate to this at present. We are in sight of the end. I think.

Within half an hour, a tired looking Spike, dressed back in the clothes he’d arrived in, was handed over to Greg, Sam and Ed. 

“It’s been a long day, let’s get you home.” Greg spoke, forestalling any emotional reunion amongst them. He had no idea how Spike was feeling, especially after what he’d said to the Judge. It was possible he felt angry or betrayed by them. After all, Greg had told him the hearing was a formality. He’d never prepared him for the possibility he’d be taken away and locked up for a week in limbo while some legal wrangling took place.

Spike was silent on the drive home. Halfway there, Greg rang and ordered take out, knowing no one would be in the mood to cook.

It was during the walk from the car to the house that Greg noticed how stiffly Spike was moving. Sam noticed it too and they shared a look.

“How about I run Spike a bath.” Sam suggested as they entered the hall. He went upstairs and they heard water running.

Ed disappeared into the kitchen while Greg led Spike into the sitting room and sat him down on the couch. 

Ed returned with a glass of water and handed it to Spike. “Thank you, Sir.” Spike said quietly. Ed crouched down in front of him, reaching a hand out to touch Spike’s knee. “It’s Ed, remember Spike.”

“Yes Ed, Sir, sorry Sir.” was said almost in a monotone.

Spike sipped at the water while Greg and Ed exchanged concerned looks. 

Sam returned to tell them the bath was ready. 

“Alright Spike, let’s get you upstairs. You’ll be done by the time the food is here.” Greg said. Spike followed Greg upstairs and into the bathroom.

“Go ahead and get undressed.” He told Spike. Spike hesitated and Greg turned his back a little. He wasn’t leaving though, he needed to see for himself if there was a reason Spike moved so stiffly. 

After a few minutes, with no sign of Spike getting into the bath, Greg spoke. “Spike, the water’s getting cold, are you going to get in?” When there was no response, he turned back around to see Spike exactly where he’d left him, clothes in a neat pile on the counter. 

The reason for Spike moving stiffly was immediately apparent. Bruising, welts and cuts on his arms, legs, stomach and back.

Spike was staring at the floor and trembling. Greg couldn’t stand by and watch any longer. He closed the space between them and gently embraced him.

Spike’s first reaction was to tense, whimper and pull away. Greg held on, as gently as he could, and shushed him.

“It’s okay, Spike. It’s okay. You’re safe now, you’re safe.”

When he tried to lead Spike over to the bath, Spike began to cry and whimper. “No, please. I’ll be good. Please.” He struggled in Greg’s arms.

Greg froze. There’d been no problem getting Spike to have a bath the previous week.

“Okay, no bath then. How about a shower.” And he guided Spike over to the shower, turning it on and adjusting the temperature. Looking at Spike’s trembling, tearful form, he made a split second decision and stripped down to his underwear. Then stepped into the shower and pulled Spike in after him.

Spike had cringed at the first onslaught of water but uncurled a little after the first minute and peered around him in confusion. Seeing Greg’s nearly naked form beside him he withdrew a little. “It’s okay Spike, I just wasn’t sure you’d be able to hold yourself up in here and didn’t fancy soaking my uniform in the process.”

“It’s warm.” Spike said in surprise, teeth chattering. “Too hot for you?” Greg asked in concern, though the water was a comfortable temperature to his touch. Spike shook his head, wavering on clearly tired feet.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and dried off.” Greg spoke with gentle firmness, knowing he’d have to push a little to get Spike through these next few minutes. He was tense and spooked but oddly cooperative Greg realised, as he began to clean him with a soapy washcloth. Though when the washcloth moved below his waist, Spike practically leapt away from Greg’s hand. 

“Do you think you can manage the rest yourself?” Greg asked, handing over the washcloth. Spike did a passable job despite his shaking hands. 

Greg took over again, urging Spike to tip his head back while he washed his hair quickly. Once rinsed off, Greg got them both out and into towels to dry off.

Greg led Spike into the Master bedroom and pulled out a pullover and pair of sweats for Spike to put on. He grabbed a set for himself and turned his back to dress, giving Spike some privacy.

Spike looked swamped in the clothes that hung off his thin frame but at least he looked warm.

“Grub’s up.” Ed called up the stairs. Greg found Spike some socks and sat beside him on the bed as he pulled them on.

“Spike, I have a question to ask you and it’s really important that you be honest with me. And remember, I’m not angry with you, okay.

Spike gave an almost imperceptible nod, Greg’s only cue that he’d heard him.

“Were you sexually assaulted in the holding centre?”

Spike looked up at him, eyes wide. Greg could almost see the cog wheels working in his brain and moved swiftly to reassure him. “It’s not going to change anything. Regardless of the answer, you’re here with us now, safe. Okay?” He wasn’t sure Spike believed him and it was hard to blame him for his distrust. 

“No, I wasn’t.” Spike finally answered, avoiding eye contact with Greg until Greg gently lifted his head up and held his gaze. 

“But they hurt you” Greg made it a statement more than a question. 

“They trained me.” The bitterness in Spike's voice came through clearly.

“I’m so sorry Spike, I wish I could have protected you from that.”

“It’s alright.” Said without much emotion. “I’ve had worse.” And that didn’t reassure Greg at all

With a sigh Greg placed a kiss on Spike’s forehead and they made their way downstairs.

***

Spike sat as directed at the table. Sam next to him. Greg dawdled at the counter, watching them, until Ed approached. He could see from the look on Greg’s face that all was not well.

“How bad it is?”

“Bad. He looks like he went ten rounds with Sam hand to hand and lost each one. Terrified when I tried to get him into the bath, had to climb into the shower with him instead.”

Ed could see the anguish on Greg’s face. “It was not your fault. You couldn’t have predicted agencies we didn’t even know about would lay claim to Spike. What matters now is we have him back. Let’s just give him a little breathing room and let him settle back in.”

Greg nodded, opening a drawer to pull out a bottle of tylenol and they went to join the other two at the table.

“Here Spike, take these.” He placed two pills next to Spike’s drink.

“They’re tylenol buddy, simple pain relief, nothing more.” Ed reassured Spike on seeing the unsure look on his face. 

“I’m okay..” Spike started to say but Ed interrupted him. “Greg says you look like you went ten rounds with Sam on the mats. You’ve seen how hard he throws. Get those down you, it’ll ease the ache and help you sleep.” Sam was nodding in agreement and Greg nodded too when Spike glanced at him for confirmation.

Sighing, he reached for his glass and swallowed the pills one at a time.

He was almost as reluctant to eat his dinner. It took effort on all their parts to coax him into eating a few mouthfuls of food. By the time dinner ended, they were all tense and tired. 

“Sam, why don’t you bring Spike up to his room and get him settled. I think you might need to leave the xbox until another evening.” Sam nodded and started to rise but as he did Spike spoke. It was the first spontaneous thing he’d said since they’d gotten him back. “I should help with the washing up.”

“Not tonight Spike.” Said Ed. “Go get some rest buddy. Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to do your fair share.”

So Spike followed Sam out of the kitchen and they heard the two of them climb the stairs. Ed started clearing the plates while Greg filled the sink to wash up. They had a dishwasher, but on take-out nights, doing it by hand was easier. As Greg lost himself in the clink of soapy plates and glasses, he felt Ed move to stand behind him. Two hands settled on his shoulders and started a gentle massage. Greg let himself relax and enjoy the strong hands on his tense muscles. 

As he continued, Ed moved in and kissed the back of his neck. “Mmm.. That feels good.” Greg said. He turned his head to the side and Ed leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. Greg reached out on sud covered hand to hold Ed’s face, twisting his body round, and they deepened the kiss, letting all the tension from the past three day seep out through their fingers and lips.

***

It was like Spike’s first night all over again, Sam mused, as he ushered him up to bed. After checking if Spike needed the bathroom, they entered the guest bedroom. 

“Greg put clean sheets on for you this morning. And we got you a new night light and a digital alarm clock.” He gestured to the beside locker.

Spike glanced at them, but didn’t seem to really see them. 

“How bad was it, at the Handling Centre?” Sam had to ask. He hadn’t been privy to the conversation Ed and Greg had had downstairs, but knew from the look on Greg’s face that all was not well. 

Spike shrugged in reply but didn’t voice an answer.

“Sorry, I know you’re tired out. Here, let’s get you into bed.” He pulled the cover back and Spike climbed into bed. Sam covered him up, and reached out a hand to brush the hair off Spike’s forehead. He should’ve been expecting the flinch, but it took him by surprise. “Spike I… I would never hurt you. You’re safe with me.” Spike avoided his eyes, staring at the wall beside his bed.

Sam fought to remain calm. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, then reached out a hand slowly towards Spike. Spike tensed a little as Sam’s hand settled on his forehead but he didn’t pull away. Sam stroked Spike’s face gently with his hand willing him to relax. He did relax, bit by bit. The grip of his hands on the bedclothes loosening and his eyes closed of their own accord. When Sam felt Spike had just about fallen asleep, he whispered to him.

“It’s all gonna be okay, you’ll see. If you need anything, I’m just down the hall. Goodnight Spike. ”

He walked from the room, leaving the door slightly ajar like he’d done the first night he’d tucked Spike in.


	15. Midnight Anguish

It took time for Spike to get comfortable and fall asleep properly after Sam left . But he didn’t find any relief there. Handling officers shouted, berated, and punished him, over and over again. Try as he might he couldn’t follow their orders, always too slow, too stupid. 

In his dream, he slept on his mattress on the floor. It was dark and quiet, except for the footsteps growing closer and closer. The door was flung open and his handler stood there, stick in hand, shouting at him to show obedience. Only it was Ed’s face and Ed’s voice.

He woke with a start and scrambled to his feet, tangling his legs in the covers and hitting the floor with a thump. The pain reverberated through his body as he struggled to get his feet under him. 

His brain hadn’t quite woken up yet, but the unmistakable sound of footsteps, real footsteps, approached. 

The door was pushed open and he could see the outline of a man. Spike knew it was Ed, come to punish him, like in his dream. He struggled to his knees, ignoring the pain from his bruises and cuts, and held himself there. 

“I am at your service Alpha.” Even to him his voice sounded weak. Officer Murphy would not approve.

“Spike?” one word said cautiously. Spike peaked up to see Ed still standing by the door. “I am at your service Alpha.” He repeated again, pleased his voice was stronger this time.

“Damn it, Spike.” Despite the words, the tone was soft, concerned. Spike risked another look up as Ed moved to crouch next to him. He reached out to touch Spike, but pulled back when Spike’s went rigid in response. 

“You have a bad dream?” Ed asked.

Spike nodded to the floor. “About what happened at the centre?” Another nod.

“Greg said you told him they trained you. Is that what the kneeling is about?”

Spike risked a glance up to Ed’s face. He wanted so much for Ed to reach out to him, wanted to be held, while at the same time terrified that any touch would lead to pain. 

“I’m showing obedience.” He explained. 

“Okay, well you don’t need to do that here.” Ed seemed like he wanted to say more but couldn’t quite find the words. “Let’s get you up and sitting on the bed, how’s that sound?” 

Ed moved slowly to Spike’s side, and helped him to his feet, guiding him to sit on the side of the bed. He sat next to him, their bodies just touching off one another. 

Greg must have described what had happened between them in the bathroom earlier that evening, Spike realised. Greg had asked the most difficult question of Spike already, but Ed had one of his own.

“Why were you so scared of the bath this evening? You weren’t last week.”

Spike’s turned tired, reddened eyes to look at Ed for a moment, before focusing on the wall in front of them.

“He held my head under the water when I wasn’t doing what he wanted.” he whispered. “He did it again and again until I passed out.”

Ed went tense beside him, then got up suddenly, pacing back and forth across the room. It unnerved Spike, who drew his legs up protectively and wrapped his arms around them, eyeing Ed nervously.

Catching sight of Spike, Ed paused before making his way to sit next to him again.

“I’m sorry Spike, I’m so sorry that happened to you and that we weren’t there to protect you from it. But you’re here now, with us and you are safe.” And he reached for Spike then, pulling the younger man towards him, ignoring the way Spike tensed at his touch. Holding Spike to his chest he gently carded a hand through his hair. Spike slowly relaxed and cuddled closer to Ed, letting his tired eyes close.

Ed's soft voice spoke a few minutes later.

“What would help buddy? What would make this easier?”

Spike wasn’t sure what he was asking at first but spent a moment contemplating before he replied. “Rules?”

“Rules? Okay.” Ed didn’t sound surprised. “Like what?”

It was a strange question. Spike had never been asked about rules before, just told to follow them.

“Um, like what I should and shouldn’t do. What merits punishment. And the other stuff.”

“Other stuff?” Ed sounded genuinely curious so Spike’s felt safe to continue. “Yeah, like, if you say it’s okay for me to go get food from the kitchen when I want, is it really okay or is it just going to be an excuse to punish me? And if not physical pain, what else? One of my handler’s used to withhold food or water for days sometimes. Another used to give me to one of the Alpha’s for a night if I wasn’t doing what he…” 

Spike trailed off suddenly, realising that he’d said, and revealed, far more than he’d intended. Not to mention given Ed ideas he mightn’t have had already.

“Alright Spike, first thing tomorrow, we’ll all sit down together and go over the new rules. But I can tell you straight off, there will be no beatings, no withholding of food, water or everyday essentials. And sex will never be used as punishment. That’s a promise. You hear me?”

Ed’s promises were things Spike desperately wanted to believe in, but he’d been let down by too many people to trust so easily. He spoke to acknowledge Ed’s words, if not the truth behind them. 

“I hear you.” Looking up he was rewarded with a smile from Ed, and felt bad that he was paying lip service to Ed’s words.

“Here, let’s get you back into bed.”

Spike cast a glance at the bed before looking back at Ed. The thought of sleeping alone, with only dreams of his handlers to keep him company, made him hesitate.

“You want to come inside and sleep with us?” Ed offered cautiously. “Just sleep mind. We’re all a little too tired after today.” he added with a hint of amusement.

Spike nodded wordlessly, letting Ed help him up. Holding him by the hand, Ed led him into the master bedroom. Remembering his first night here, when Ed had brought him in, Spike hung back a little, feeling shy.

This time, the light was already on, Greg sitting up with a book in his hand and Sam lying on his stomach reading a magazine. They mustn’t have been in bed long, Spike reasoned. 

Ed spoke first, as both Greg and Sam turned to look at them. “Spike had a nightmare. I think he could do with some company. I think we all could do with some company.”

Like the first night Spike had been in the master bedroom, Greg climbed out of bed and padded round towards them. He reached out slowly towards Spike, who tensed at first, but relaxed when Ed squeezed his hand gently, adding “remember what I said Spike?”. The touch of Greg’s hand on his shoulder was warm and firm but not painful. “Welcome home, Spike.” Words suffused with emotion. 

Sam moved to join them, reaching out to envelope Spike in a hug as Greg let go of his shoulder. Spike couldn’t help the small sound of pain he made as Sam’s hand contacted bruised skin. Sam let him go instantly. “Shit man, I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” Spike was quick to reassure, seeing the dismay on Sam’s face, then reached out and snagged Sam’s wrist as he moved away. It was a bold move for Spike to make, and he watched Sam’s face carefully to see his reaction. 

Sam gently extracted his wrist from Spike’s grip, took Spike’s hand in his and led him towards the bed. “You okay with sleeping in the middle?” 

Spike suddenly realised what he’d agreed to. He’d never slept in a bed with more than one of the Alpha’s at a time, what was sleeping with all three going to be like?

Seeing his hesitation, Sam was quick to speak. “Hey, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, okay? And we’re just going to sleep, that’s all. We’ll be here to keep the nightmares at bay.” Like Sam had his fourth night there.

Spike relaxed, letting Sam lead him to the bed and guide him beneath the covers. Once Spike was settled, Sam picked up his magazine and went back to browsing, giving Spike a quick once over and a smile every once in a while. Greg resumed his spot near the edge of the bed, with Spike between him and Sam. He picked up his discarded book and resumed reading. 

Spike looked around for Ed, and found him standing and watching them. “Aren’t you coming to bed?” 

Ed had been the one to bring him there after all. “Sure, just enjoying the view.” Spike blushed and ducked his head a little. Ed got in next to Sam, taking the spot nearest the door. Their protector. His protector, Spike realised.

They lay like that for a while, in quiet companionship. Spike’s eyes grew heavy with each passing minute and he finally let himself relax and fall into a deep sleep. When he woke, to the quiet murmur of voices, it was already morning.


	16. The Talk

It was after a breakfast of pancakes, cooked by Sam, that they sat down to business. They were all sitting in the living room, cups of coffee sitting on the table, a discarded newspaper balanced precariously on the side.

Ed spoke first. “Last night Spike asked that we clarify the rules so I thought the best thing was for all of us to get together and talk about them.”

“First things first.” Greg said, and Spike realised that some time that morning, Ed had told them what Spike had said the previous night.

“There will be no punishments for real or imagined mistakes. There will no beatings, no rapes or sexual assaults. No withholding of food, water, bathroom privileges, sleep, normal everyday items or comforts, social interaction, work activities or leisure activities.” 

The other two men were nodding, faces grim. 

“I know we haven’t covered every eventuality of what you’ve experienced or what you can imagine Spike, but know that we won’t do anything deliberately to cause you physical, mental or emotional pain.”

Greg held eye contact with Spike for what felt like a long time, until Spike finally nodded his acknowledgement.

“You may ask questions freely at any time. You may take food from the kitchen if you’re hungry, use the bathroom when needed, take a shower, use all the hot water, eat the last of the marshmallows, wear Ed’s shirts.”

“Hey!” said Ed, but he was smiling. Spike couldn't help but smile in response. 

“But seriously Spike, if you’re not sure about something, ask. For now, we’ll get you to work on some stuff in Headquarters. Repairing things, inventorying, we’ll let you loose on the computers in the next week or two once we get you the necessary clearance. You might have to have a knowledge assessment by another technician, but it’s just a formality.”

“You’ll need to do some physical training too, we need to build you up a bit, get a bit of muscle on those bones.” Said Ed, blue eyes warm and intense.

“We’ll have to do some tactical training with you too, once you’ve got clearance. Have you ever fired a gun before?” Spike shook his head at Sam’s question.

It was beginning to seem like a lot, a mountain. How would he ever do all that? How would he ever live up to their expectations? An Omega who enhanced their team. Their team who were, from what Spike could tell, the best of the best. 

“Baby steps Spike and we’ll play to your strengths.” Greg said gently, reading from Spike’s face the thoughts he hadn’t voiced. 

“Have you any questions Spike?” Ed asked. Spike thought for a moment, then spoke with hesitation.

“What about… the other stuff. The bond stuff. My heat.”

All three men shared a look, but Spike couldn’t read whatever they were leaving unspoken.

“Spike, we’re leaving that up to you, in your own time. We’ve got you some suppressants, you’re free to take them. We’d all like to bond, but not until you’re ready. We would ask that you keep in mind though, that while you’re not bonded, there are safety concerns. So we’d ask that you not leave the house or headquarters without one of us, two of us preferably. Okay?” Greg’s voice was calm and reassuring. His negotiator voice, Spike was beginning to realise. 

“Okay. I understand.” Spike answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contrary to what I said in Chapter 14 about posting every second day, there's actually only three chapters left until the end and they only require editing/proofreading so I'll be posting them tomorrow and the day after. Thanks to everyone who's still reading along.


	17. Complications

The next few weeks went by in a blur for Spike. A full assessment was done of his knowledge and aptitudes and, once Greg had identified his areas of strength and weakness, he was accelerated through introductory courses and basic training.

True to their word they let him loose on the computer system his first week back and he proved invaluable in tracking down information and hacking security systems on a handful of calls. 

His physical training went a little slower while his injuries healed, but Ed and Sam started to bring him out on runs with them in the evening and Ed started taking him to the gun range and going through the basic firearms training.

There was one unexpected complication along the way. They had learned fairly quickly that Spike, being eager to please them and more than a little afraid to disappoint, didn’t always speak up when things were too much or when there was something going on.

They were doing their morning work out and Ed had set Spike up on the treadmill. Spike had been up most of the night going through the firearms manual Ed had given him to study and had only gotten an hour or two of sleep. His eating the previous few days had been sporadic, what with the team getting called out multiple times every shift, and Spike trying to make himself useful to them while continuing his training.

The first ten minutes on the treadmill were tough but manageable. But Spike was suddenly weak and dizzy and, as he felt himself black out, he reached for the stop button.

He found himself lying on the floor, a hand gently patting his face and a voice calling him. “Spike, you back with us?” Ed asked as Spike opened his eyes to find the older man looking down at him.

“Hold on, paramedics are on the way.”

Paramedics? What? Spike struggled to sit up, but another wave of dizziness overtook him and he lay back down.

“I don’t need a hospital.” Spike protested weakly. 

“We’ll let the paramedics be the judge of that.” Ed said firmly. “Unless there’s anything you want to tell me?”

Spike really didn’t want to tell Ed the reason he’d passed out but he wanted to be hauled off to the hospital even less.

“I might’ve missed a couple of meals the past few days. And I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Ed stilled above him, hand on Spike’s chest. He seemed to be in two minds about what to say next.

“Why didn’t you get much sleep?” Ed’s voice was deceptively calm and Spike could feel the anger beneath it.

“I… I was studying the firearms manual.” Ed had planned to quiz him on it today before they practised. Spike hadn’t wanted to disappoint.

Ed wasn’t looking at him and Spike felt an icy fear building in his stomach. He was messing this up.

“I’m sorry Ed. Please don’t be mad.” The tears came unbidden, borne of tiredness and frustration. He was trying so hard to do what they wanted, but it never seemed to be enough.

Ed helped him sit up, Sam moving to buffer Spike from the other side, and the tears in Spike’s eyes trailed down his cheeks. He lunged suddenly towards Ed grabbing a fistful of his t-shirt and burying his face in the man’s chest.

“Please don’t send me back to the training centre.” He spoke between sobs. “I’ll do better, I promise.” The fear was there and growing, every hour of every day, that they’d realise their mistake and send him back to be someone else’s problem.

***

The rest of Team One stood around the room looking helplessly on as Spike sobbed in Ed’s arms. 

“He really thinks you’d send him back?” Wordy asked Greg in disbelief. Greg could only shake his head.

Things only got worse when the paramedics arrived. 

“Please don’t let them take me.” Spike’s hands scrabbled at Ed’s shirt as he moved as close as he could to the older Alpha. Greg stepped in to defuse the situation. 

“Guys, thanks for coming. Could you wait outside a minute while we get him calmed down.”

Ed was holding a hand to Spike’s forehead, and raised concerned eyes to Greg’s. “He’s got a temperature.” 

A temperature, emotionally distraught and clingy. And Spike had been a little out of sorts the previous few days. Greg began to put the pieces together. “Spike, when was your last heat?”

Spike’s red, tear filled eyes met his. “I don’t know, I’ve been taking the suppressants for as long as I can remember.”

“Alright Spike. The paramedics are going to come in and check you over. I promise I won’t let them take you anywhere, not without one of us with you. Okay?” Spike nodded, wide-eyed. 

A few difficult minutes later, Greg took the senior paramedic aside to discuss what they’d found.

“His blood pressure and blood sugar are a little low. His temp’s up, as is his pheromone production. I’d say he’s at the very early stages of a heat.”

“He’s on a suppressant.” Greg said.

“Yes but he’s been on the same dose for years from what he’s told us and he’s now in close contact with three Alpha’s every day. The suppressants he’s taking aren’t going to be enough to suppress his heat and they’re only causing him emotional distress as his body goes through the heat while the meds block the normal emotional response to this.”

“What are our options?”

“There are three. Let the heat run it’s course and complete a bond. Let it runs it’s course with Spike in isolation so as to prevent a bond. Or use heavy dose IV suppressants to stop his heat. Options two and three will have to be supervised, in an Omega handling centre, as there’s a high risk of autonomic instability so he’ll need to be monitored throughout.”

Greg returned to the gym where a slightly calmer Spike now rested in Ed’s arms, Ed gently combing a hand through Spike’s hair. “Guys, do you mind giving us a few minutes.” Greg asked the rest of the team and they filed out leaving the three Alphas alone with Spike.

Greg outlined the options the paramedic had given them. 

“I want to bond.” Spike said immediately.

“Because you don’t want to go back to the handling centre?” Sam asked gently. 

“It’s not just that.” Spike sat up, letting go of Ed’s shirt and looked around at the three of them. “I want to bond with you. Fully. I can feel it already, the start of the bond, with each one of you. Can’t you feel it?”

“We feel it Spike.” Greg answered and the others nodded. “We just wanted this to happen in your own time at your own pace.”

“I know that, I do, but if this happening now, than maybe it’s for a reason.” Spike sounded clearer and more insightful that Greg had expected he would given the circumstances. He also knew that Spike returning to the handling centre and a long separation from the three Alphas would break the fragile bond they’d built. If this was to happen, it had to be now.

“If this is what you want Spike, really what you want, then I think we should complete the bond. Ed, Sam?”

Ed reached for Spike, turning him so they were eye to eye. “Look me in the eye and promise me that you’re not agreeing to this just because you’re scared.”

Spike held out his hand to Ed, who caught and held it in his. “I am scared but I promise you I want this.”

He turned to Sam. “You’ve given me time. You’ve given me more than I ever thought I could have. Sam, I want this, I want you.” Sam moved to envelope Spike in a hug.

“I guess that settles it. I’ll tell Holleran we need compassionate leave and give the team a heads-up. Why don’t you two take Spike out to the car.” Greg said. Things were suddenly moving faster than any of them had anticipated.


	18. Acceleration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Fully consensual, somewhat graphic sex scenes in this and tomorrow's chapter. I should warn you that this is not what I'd consider comfortable writing territory for me. But what fun is there in only doing what you're comfortable with?

Greg got a few more words of advice from the paramedic before they left for home but he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to follow them. Accelerating Spike’s heat would overcome the emotional block from the suppressants but would also mean a more intense heat for him to endure. 

Spike was sitting in the back of the car with Ed. He was restless and unsettled. One hand clutching Ed’s shirt, he kept shifting position, watching them, the doors, the traffic. Clearly frightened, though Greg wasn’t sure what of. 

Greg watched as Ed tried to settle him with words but it didn’t work. Eventually he took off his seatbelt and pulled Spike bodily onto his lap, wrapping arms around him. He pushed Spike’s head to rest on his shoulder, then moved the collar of Spike’s shirt down to expose his neck.

Spike went still in Ed's arms as Ed brushed fingers over the sensitive skin of his nape. Spike shuddered and whimpered. 

“Eddie.” Greg’s voice held a warning. They had to tread carefully.

Ed met his eyes through the rear view mirror. “It’s just to keep him calm until we get him home. Okay Spike?” 

Spike murmured an assent as Ed stroked his fingers over the sensitive spot once more. Murmurs became groans when Ed shifted Spike around a little, leaned his head down, and licked a long line along the back of Spike’s neck.

“Guys, I’m trying to drive here.” Sam protested good-naturedly as the car filled with pheromones.

“Well drive faster.” Was Ed’s only concession.

They arrived home in record time and the three Alphas left a clingy Spike momentarily in the living room while they discussed how they were going to handle this.

They put accelerating Spike’s heat to a vote and it was unanimous given how distressed Spike was. Deciding who would do it was the trickier issue. Greg suggested Sam but was surprised when both he and Ed felt it should be he who did it.

“He sees you as the leader. The one who calls the shots. It would be better coming from you then from either of us.” Ed said with an air of finality.

“Only if he agrees.” Greg conceded. 

“I agree.” They turned to find Spike standing in the doorway. “I don’t want to feel like this any longer. Please. It hurts.” Spike’s lower lip trembled.

“Okay buddy, okay. First let’s get you upstairs and into the shower. Come on.” Greg took Spike by the arm and led him upstairs.

It was deja vu to when they’d got him back from the handling centre only a few weeks ago. Greg turned on the shower to heat the water, throwing a casual “clothes off buddy” to Spike as he did, then started to undress himself. Whereas before he’d avoided being fully unclothed around Spike, he knew that the next few days were going to bring a lot of changes and the sooner they got comfortable around one another’s bodies, the better.

Once undressed he turned to see a self-conscious Spike standing behind him similarly unclothed. Greg reached for him, pleased when he didn’t back away. “Come on, in you get.” 

He guided Spike into the shower and followed him in. Greg took up a washcloth and shower gel and, as he had done the last time, started to clean Spike. Spike was more receptive than previously and didn’t protest when Greg moved the washcloth lower though he did tense involuntarily. “It’s just me Spike and you know I won’t hurt you. If at any time you want to stop this, just say stop. No harm, no foul. Do you get me?” He spoke slowly and clearly to be heard above the sound of the shower. 

“I get you Greg. Um, how does it work? Accelerating my heat?” Greg continued to wash Spike as he answered his questions, using his words to distract Spike.

“It’s quite a simple process really. We stimulate the nerve bundle in the nape of your neck and embue with with Alpha pheromones from my saliva. Basically a bite deep enough to break the skin will do the trick.” Greg could see Spike considering what he’d said. 

“Will it hurt?” 

Greg had been expecting the question. “Yeah buddy, it will hurt. Normally, it’s done to initiate a bond when the heat is already well established. In your case it’s to accelerate the heat so the bonding hormones that block pain receptors aren’t up at the kind of levels needed.”

Spike was biting his lower lip, contemplating, but Greg decided to give him something else to think about.

“So I was thinking we could do it in tandem with something that would act as a sensory blockade. Basically overwhelm the body with mostly positive sensations while we do the acceleration. It’ll still hurt but it should be a lot less painful that way.” 

Greg watched Spike ponder this before reaching the natural conclusion.

“You mean sex?” Spike asked timidly. “Not penetration.” Greg was quick to clarify. “But yeah the idea would be to bring you to orgasm at the same time as the bite.”

Spike’s eyes widened a little but to Greg’s relief he seemed more curious than scared.

“When would we do it?” Spike asked.

“Here and now. The heat from the shower will help the pheromones do their job plus reduce the pain factor.”

“Oh, okay. I’m ready.” His pronouncement made Greg smile briefly. The confidence of Spike’s words didn’t quite match his demeanor but Greg knew the longer he drew it out the harder it would be, for both of them.

“Okay Spike we'll take this slow. I need you to do exactly what I say. And if you don’t want to continue, at any point, all you have to say is stop.” He waited for Spike to verbally acknowledge his instructions before beginning.

***

Spike was surprised with how quickly it all began. One minute Greg was washing him, the next he was instructing him to turn and stand with his back against the wall, hands by his sides. The shower tiles were cold against his skin, in stark contrast to the heat of the water and steam. 

Greg stepped up to stand before him so they were eye to eye. Hands reached for his face, tracing gentle lines down from forehead to chin then Greg leaned it and kissed him softly on the lips. The second kiss, he gently nudged Spike’s lips apart and his tongue swiped gently over Spike’s. On the third kiss, their tongues met and melded together. They broke apart, both breathing hard and feeling the tug of the bond between them.

Greg moved his attention to the front of Spike’s neck, using fingers and mouth to make trails of touches and kisses down towards his chest. He crouched, hands on the wall either side of Spike as he licked a long line from Spike’s chest to his bellybutton. He then moved his hands to either side of Spike’s stomach, anchoring him, as he placed gentle nips and kisses all along the smooth skin and muscle. 

Each touch was heightening the sensations Spike was feeling so when Greg finally knelt in front of him, he was already half hard.

Greg looked up and met his eyes. What he saw there must have reassured him as he turned his attention back to Spike’s groin. Whatever Spike had expected Greg to do next, it wasn’t to place kisses all along his shaft, then to lick a long line up and down, mouth hot and wet on Spike’s sensitive skin. A few breathless needy whimpers escaped Spike's lips.

Greg took the tip of Spike into his mouth as he became fully erect and Spike lost himself in the sensation of Greg’s mouth on him as he swallowed more and more of him. Spike's hands scrabbled for purchase on the wall and he struggled to keep his composure. Just when it was all getting too much, Greg released him and rubbed gentle hands up and down his thighs, distracting him from the intense sensations.

“Turn around and put your hands on the wall.”

Greg’s voice was a hoarse whisper. Spike obeyed immediately as Greg moved to stand behind him and redirected the shower spray over them both, warming Spike's now cold back. Greg gently positioned Spike so that his hands were braced against the wall but his body a little away from it. He moved to stand flush against Spike’s back and Spike could feel Greg’s own erection pressed against him. But it didn’t raise the customary fear or resignation of similar situations in the past. Greg had promised no penetration and Spike knew he’d keep his word.

Once positioned against Spike, Greg did two things simultaneously. With one hand he bent Spike’s head a little to stretch and bare his neck and with the other he wrapped a hand around Spike’s still erect shaft. As he placed his mouth over the sensitive spot on Spike’s neck and began to lick and suck at it, he began to slowly pump his hand between Spike’s legs, eliciting gasps and moans that Spike couldn’t hold in. 

The pressure between Spike’s legs built and built as Greg continued to suck and gently bite the back of his neck. Just when Spike thought he couldn’t handle any more and the word stop was on the tip of his tongue, hot white pleasure overwhelmed him and Greg bit down hard on his neck. 

He was caught between competing sensations of pain and pleasure, but found the pain only heightened the intensity of the pleasure rather than drowning it out. Greg released his hold on Spike’s neck with a last long lick across the broken skin as his hand between Spike’s legs pressed and pressed, until there was no more left in him and, exhausted and spent, he fell to his knees.

Things went white and fuzzy for a minute and when he came to, Greg’s arms had encircled him and he was gently patting Spike’s face.

“There you are. You had me worried for a second.” Greg said. “How do you feel?”

There was a residual ache in his neck but he couldn’t clearly describe it as pain. Otherwise he felt… sated.

“That was… that was amazing. Is it always like that?” Greg gave a relieved smile at Spike’s response. “Believe me Spike, it only gets better from here.” Spike smiled dreamily back at him and cuddled tighter to Greg. They stayed like that a few more minutes before Greg gently got them both to their feet to clean off. 

Once clean and out of the shower, Greg handed Spike a towel and grabbed one for himself. “Spike, there’s one more thing we need to do which will help the acceleration.”

“What’s that?” Spike asked. 

***

Spike, towel wrapped firmly around his waist, went in to the Master bedroom and sat on the bed as Greg had instructed. He’d explained his idea and Spike sort of understood. The ache in his neck was more persistent but was still more an annoyance.

The door opened. “Hey Spike.” Sam gave him a smile as he moved to sit next to him. “Greg explained it to you?” Sam asked. 

“Mm-hmm.” Spike agreed. “He said sooner was better, before the wound closes.” 

“Alright, how about you kneel up and brace your hands on the bedpost. This’ll only take a minute but it might sting a bit.”

“Okay Sam.” Spike said as he moved into position, using the bedpost to hold himself steady.

Sam moved in slow and cautious, hands gently rubbing Spike’s shoulders and tracing his thumbs just under the bite mark on Spike's neck until he felt him relax. 

“Bend your head forward a little.” He murmured and Spike complied. Spike felt Sam’s hot breath on his neck before he licked across the bite-mark Greg had left. It did sting but it wasn’t too unpleasant and Spike held still while Sam ran his tongue over it a second and a third time. Then he moved to nuzzle gently beneath Spike’s ear and when Spike turned his head, kissed him on the mouth, intense and passionate. 

Sam pulled back then, with a contented smile. “Ed’s in his room. You should go on in.”

He helped Spike to his feet and Spike felt Sam’s eyes on him until he was out of the room and had closed the door behind him.

Ed was relaxing on a chair when Spike entered and he greeted him with a lazy smile. “Hey there Spike.”

Spike, unexpectedly shy, stuttered out. “How do you want me?” Then blushed when he realised how it sounded. But it only made Ed grin. Ed got slowly to his feet and approached Spike.

“Will you kneel for me Spike?” Ed suddenly turned serious, warm eyes catching Spike’s with an intense gaze. Spike could only nod in response, mouth dry. 

Kneeling for Ed was nothing like the many times he’d been forced to his knees in the past. Ed held out a hand and guided Spike to the centre of the floor and helped him to kneel on the ground. Ed knelt to the side of Spike, so they were at right angles to one another. 

“Bend your head for me.” Ed whispered and Spike obeyed, feeling a thrill at his own obedience. Ed wrapped a hand around Spike from the front, across his shoulders and upper chest and tilted his body forward a little so he was taking some of Spike’s weight. 

His other hand swept down Spike’s back to his waist and Spike froze when Ed’s hand loosened the towel around him. 

“It’s okay Spike. Say stop at any point if you’re not comfortable.” Ed said quietly.

Spike forced himself to take a few deep breaths and felt himself relax in Ed’s grip. He knew the older man wasn’t going to hurt him or force him to do anything Spike didn’t want to do. Ed slowly pulled the towel away.

“Greg said you orgasmed.” Ed whispered. Spike nodded, feeling himself blush again. “I just want to see if it had the desired effect.”

Spike wasn’t sure what Ed meant until his hand trailed back down along Spike’s spine then one solitary finger gently moved between the cleft of his buttocks. Spike’s hands were suddenly gripping Ed’s arm where it held him around his shoulders and he fought to stay still.

Ed’s finger rubbed against him but didn’t push inside. Spike could feel the moisture gathered there. Ed made a pleased sound and the finger withdrew. Ed held it to his nose and took a deep breath, then, to Spike’s surprise, rubbed the scent of his arousal across the bite mark on Spike’s neck. Then he leaned in and licked and sucked across the spot, drawing a surprised moan from Spike, part pain, part pleasure. Spike let himself get lost in the sensations.

With one final kiss to the back of his neck, Ed released him, helping him stand and then dressing him as Spike began to shiver. Spike was tired and drowsy but uncomplaining when Ed pushed him into bed and covered him with a duvet. A gentle kiss to his forehead was the last thing he remembered.


	19. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: As before, fully consensual, somewhat graphic sex scenes in this final chapter.

Spike woke to wetness between his legs and a sudden need to be near his Alphas. It helped that when he opened his eyes, Ed was sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. 

“Ed, I need…”

Ed rubbed a gentle hand up and down Spike’s arm. “It’s okay Spike, I know. Your pheromone production is nearing its peak. I’m going to bring you into the master bedroom.”

He reached to pull back the bedclothes then picked Spike up and carried him into the room next door. He placed him in the middle of the empty bed and Spike grabbed for his hand as he went to leave. “Don’t go Ed, I need…” 

“I know Spike. But we need all three of us here for this. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He disappeared from the room and Spike heard the murmur of voices outside. Moments later a sleep tussled Sam walked in. He came to full alert two steps into the room. “Wow, your pheromones are so strong right now.”

Greg and Ed joined them a minute later.

“How do we do this?” Sam asked.

“Spike, this is your show. You call the shots. What do you want us to do?” Greg gave Spike full control of the situation but Spike deftly turned it back around.

“I want to bond.” Spike said simply, squirming on the bed at the discomfort in his body. “I'm not sure I can think beyond that.” He was sure they could see the strain in his eyes. Knowing what he needed and actually orchestrating it move by move were two very different things.

“Greg, I think you should lead us through this. You handled the acceleration well, let’s take things as they come.” said Ed and Sam agreed instantly.

“Alright. Spike, first thing is to get those clothes off.”

Greg pulled off his own clothes before moving to the centre of the bed and helping Spike take off his. 

“Okay. I want you to turn over and lie on your stomach for a minute. I need to check that everything is ready to initiate a bond.”

Spike turned to lie on his stomach. Greg first checked the back of his neck. "That's well on its way to healing Spike. The bonding hormones are doing their job." 

There was a hesitation before Greg continued. “Alright Spike, I need to check you’re ready for bonding sex. I’m going to place a finger inside you. It’s okay if you don’t want to do this, you can choose to stop at any time.”

Spike turned his head towards Greg, eyes searching out the older man’s before replying. “I want this. I want to bond.”

***

“Understood Spike.” Greg smiled, running a hand through Spike’s hair. Then he gently reached down and pulled apart his cheeks before pushing one finger inside. There was no resistance and an abundance of moisture. “Two fingers now Spike.” Greg warned but Spike only let out a needy whimper in reply. “Three.” Greg said softly and Spike pushed back a little against his hand. “Four.” And Spike pushed back again, more eagerly.

Greg withdrew his now soaked fingers and used them to lubricate himself. Then he pulled a protesting Spike to his knees and shifted both their positions. He was grateful when Ed and Sam moved in to help, both understanding instinctively what Greg intended for Spike’s first time with him. When they finally settled into position, Greg was lying in his back, propped up by the headboard and Spike was sitting knees astride Greg’s lap. With Ed and Sam’s help, they carefully positioned Spike and slowly, inch by inch, Greg penetrated him.

Greg never let his eyes leave Spike’s the whole time. Greg’s hands held his, their fingers interlocking while Greg’s hips flexed upwards and Spike slowly lowered himself downward. Once fully sheathed inside him, Greg gave Spike some time to adjust to the sensation before he began to thrust gently. Spike moved with him, letting out little pleasured sounds as Greg’s thrusts nudged his prostate. As Spike reached his climax, Greg pulled him down to lie against his chest. He bit down at the edge of his bonding nerve bundle, where neck met shoulder, as he came inside Spike.

As their aftershocks faded, Greg gently withdrew from Spike, urging to younger man to look at him. He was shocked to see tears in Spike’s eyes and was about to call a stop to everything when Spike spoke. 

“You were right, it does get better. It’s never been like that before. All the pain, the fear. It wasn’t there.” There was wonder and disbelief in Spike’s voice. Greg wiped the tears from Spike’s face with careful hands.

***

“Are you okay to keep going?” Greg asked him gently. Spike smiled and nodded. He went to move from his position on top of Greg only for Ed’s low voice to stop him. “Stay right there Spike.”

Ed moved behind him and repositioned him just a fraction putting his head down on Greg’s chest and raising his hips. Sam lay down next to Greg and the older man reached a hand out to embrace him as they watched the other two.

Just as he had the previous night, Ed trailed a finger along Spike’s spine before dipping between the cleft of his buttocks. Only this time his finger slid into Spike. It was quickly joined by a second. The sensations were only growing in intensity within him and he pulled forward as Ed slid three fingers inside. 

Greg and Sam seemed to realise the problem and they ran hands up and down Spike’s back and sides, trying to distract him from the intense sensations he was trying to escape. As they did, Ed withdrew his fingers and tugged Spike’s hips back towards him. 

“Spike, are you doing okay?” Ed asked. “Yes,” Spike’s voice was breathless but steady. “I want to bond Ed. Please.”

“Okay, good. I want you to put your hands behind your back for me. Can you do that?” It meant less control, Spike realised. More than that; it meant giving Ed control. Trusting him and his promises. Spike closed his eyes, took a deep breath and moved his hands behind him. Ed gently pressed them into the small of Spike’s back. 

“You’re doing great Spike.” Ed encouraged and began to push inside him. 

Spike had been taken from behind before by other Alphas, but never like this. Never with such care. Never lying on a warm body that gently buffered him. Never asked to willingly restrain his arms. And never taken at the height of his heat, when there was so much pleasure for him to experience.

Once Ed had worked his way in, he pulled out and then began thrusting in and out rhythmically, starting slow and gentle and moving faster and harder.

“Ed.” Spike panted suddenly as pleasure built up inside of him. “Please don’t stop.”

“Almost there Spike.” Ed reassured as he angled each thrust to hit Spike’s prostate. Ed suddenly pulled Spike to sit upright, Greg’s hands helping to stabilise him. He bent his head and bit the nape of Spike’s neck as they both climaxed. As their orgasm’s faded, Ed rolled them so they were lying on their sides next to Greg, breathing hard.

“That was fantastic Spike.” Ed placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

Spike managed a dazed smile in response before his eyes were searching out Sam. There was a flurry of movement on the bed as Greg and Ed withdrew to the edges leaving Spike and Sam in the middle. 

Spike remembered his first night there when he’d thought they were going to force him and how he’d almost wished it had been Sam who walked through his door. How much things had changed since then. Now Sam was reaching for him and Spike moved willing, letting the blond gently position him to lie on his back in the center of the bed.

Sam moved to lie on top, propping himself up on his elbows.

“You really want this?” he asked, but Spike could see in the confident smile on Sam’s face that he already knew the answer.

“I want you.” Spike replied and Sam’s smile became a grin.

***

Sam took a slow pace, like they all had. He gently bent one of Spike’s legs at the knee, moving it up towards his stomach and out. 

He pushed a finger inside Spike, loving the way Spike’s breath hitched at the sensation. Two fingers and Spike whimpered needily. Three and Sam carefully angled them to nudge Spike’s prostate, chuckling as Spike arched his back with a low moan.

As Sam moved to position himself, shifting Spike’s hips a little, he ensured they were face to face and he leaned in to kiss Spike on the mouth. As Sam gently pushed inside, he watched Spike’s eyes slowly widen, his breathing deepen. Sam slowly pulled out and pushed back in, watching Spike’s breath quicken.

He could feel and see the other two Alpha’s either side of them, watching and waiting. He took his time with Spike, building a rhythm. Spike began to shudder beneath him and he moved faster still, wanting to bring them to orgasm as close as possible.

Before he could ask, Spike turned his head as far as he could to the side, giving Sam access to his neck. With one final thrust Sam came, biting down into the soft tissue as he did. Spike cried out below him then stilled. Sam gently released him and rolled to the lie beside him.

Instantly Greg and Ed were reaching for them, hands soothing both of them as the intensity of the final bond overwhelmed them.

Sam recalled when he, Ed and Greg had bonded together for the first time. It had been intense, but it paled in comparison to this. He lay on his back, his Omega next to him and smiled at how content he felt right then. 

***

Spike felt safe and secure and sated. He was happier and more content than he had been for almost as long as he could remember. He could feel the three bond marks gently pulsate on his neck. 

“We’ll clean up in a bit.” Greg murmured in Spike’s ear. “Just rest for now Spike.” And his hands encircled Spike and pulled him close. Sam was pressed against his other side and Ed had reached an arm across Sam to rest a hand on Spike’s hip. 

The curtains were pulled, the room in darkness. As he lay there words came to Spike unbidden and he found himself speaking them aloud, knowing it was finally safe to do so. “It’s Mike, my name is Mike.”

“Is that short for Michael?” Sam asked cautiously. Spike didn’t reply, suddenly nervous he’d made a mistake, but Greg’s quiet words surprised him. “It’s short for Michelangelo, isn’t that right Spike?”

He turned to look at Greg, wide-eyed, heart suddenly racing. “Shhh. You’re safe with us Spike. We’re bonded now and that’s for life.” Greg ran a gentle hand up and down Spike’s body and Sam crowded closer. 

Ed sat up and was peering over Sam’s body to look at Spike and Greg. “You’re Mike Scarlatti.” He said, looking at Spike in wonder and Spike saw Greg nod in confirmation. Ed reached to clasp Spike’s hand in his, running a thumb in circles across Spike’s palm. 

“How did you know?” Ed asked Greg. Spike turned to look at Greg, just as curious to hear the answer.

“I didn’t until just now but I had some suspicions.” Greg turned his attention to Spike. “I’ve been going through missing children reports since we found you. I’d narrowed it down to a handful of possibilities. You being Mike Scarlatti was one of the likelier.”

“I remember when you went missing. I was fresh out of the academy. Did a lot of canvassing of the area with my training officer.” Ed spoke in a hushed whisper.

Spike didn’t know what to say, faced with the knowledge that they now knew exactly who he was, a fact he hadn’t been able to admit to anyone for fourteen years.

“It doesn’t change anything Spike, except what you want it to. You’re a bonded Omega to three very content Alphas.” Greg assured him.

“Yeah, you’re stuck with us I’m afraid.” Ed added with a wry smile.

“Welcome home Mike.” Sam said, burying his head in the crook of Spike’s neck. Following Sam’s cue, they settled down again and one by one fell asleep.

***

Epilogue

They returned to work seven days later. While Spike hadn’t undergone a magical transformation as a result of the bond, his security in being bonded to the three Alphas gave him a new found confidence. His accelerated training continued though his Alphas controlled the pace so Spike was never overwhelmed.

A month after their return, Spike began to go out on calls with them, being almost always confined to the truck, usually with Greg or Jules. He never complained, knowing it would take time for his overprotective Alphas to relax enough to let him take a more active role.

Greg had been right about Spike. Once feeling safe and secure, Spike liked to talk, chattering at a mile a minute about anything and everything. At home, he developed a strong relationship with each of them, being at times sweetly submissive and at others endearingly demanding. He almost never slept alone, though his bedroom was always his own.

Spike declined to have himself formally identified as Michelangelo Scarlatti in the aftermath of his revelation, content with his Alphas knowing his identity as well as the rest of Team One. Though it was something Greg felt they’d have to tackle eventually, he knew all too well that Spike still had a lot to fear from the people who’d held him for all those years. Leo Beckett’s investigation into the warehouse raid went cold quickly with the only suspect who'd talked found dead in his cell two weeks after the raid, a fact Greg didn’t reveal to Spike.

All in all life settled into a balanced routine for all four, now closer than they’d ever been. Team One’s performance went from strength to strength on the foot of their strong bond, and life, as Ed liked to say, was damn near perfect.

It didn’t last of course. But that’s another story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have guessed, I have a short sequel planned though it might be a while before I get around to it. I'm working on a Spike-centered story set in the Sentinel universe at the moment.
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who stayed with this until the end, especially those who took the time to comment or leave kudos. The encouragement was much appreciated.


End file.
